


A Thousand Years

by Reda



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Family, Fluff, Romance, but it's a lot of fluff, okay like it literally has everything
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-07-15 05:43:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 37,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7210349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reda/pseuds/Reda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Although they start with a fragile bond, through the years Goku and Chi-Chi learn what it means to love as time challenges all they've grown together. Lucky for them, not even death can stop true love. [GoChi]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> [Copying from FFnet to here] 
> 
> -This is a collection of one-shots told in timeline order. Basically a gigantic overview of moments between this couple as they go through all the events of DragonBall Z (and eventually, maybe, more?)-
> 
> -Each chapter is a different prompt and a time skip forward, starting with their early marriage and moving into Z-

 

~!~

 

“ _Sometimes my brain doesn't know what my mouth is saying. Good thing my heart does.” - Goku, Dragonball, English (Funimation) Dub_

 

~!~

 

Chi-Chi sighed happily as she stared off into space, listening to the sound of birds and other wild animals outside their window. Their little house in the woods, a place built by her father right next to the place where Goku grew up. It was a scene from a romantic novel, and she was still tickled to death that everything had played out right to get her here.

A chance meeting with a boy on a cloud. A sudden fling of a question. A promise given. And then years later experiencing the frustration of being forgotten, of realizing the innocent boy turned man had no idea _what_ he had promised back then, only to come clean and propose on the world tournament stage once everything had been explained.

She looked down at the man on the bed beside her and smiled, watching him sleep so haphazardly with the covers hardly even on him. His soft snores as he drifted through his dreams filled the air. He'd had the perfect chance to escape his promise, the perfect excuse to not go through it; she'd been about to give up hope, and yet here he was. Her husband.

She found his hand under the bed sheets and squeezed it, getting nothing more than a little twitch and mumble from him in his sleep. Their first morning waking up together as a married couple, and even though she had woken up before him she was willing to wait right here until he opened his eyes to their first day. However long it took. After all, she had waited years for him before, she could wait a few hours now.

In the meantime, she let her thoughts wander, eyes open but staring into the past.

“ _Are you Chi-Chi?”_

“ _Yes, I am. How do you know my name? Oh, you must be in love with me, too!”_

She smiled at the memory of Goku on his strange flying cloud, floating right over to her and calling her name like some long lost lover. Oh, she had been so taken with him right from the start, though he apparently had been so innocent he hadn't even realized her feelings. Or what his cute responses made her think.

She could still feel the fluffy yellow cloud as if it were yesterday. She chuckled to herself. Well, of course. It was yesterday that he had taken her for a ride on it again, after all. His favorite way to travel. Such a special, romantic thing to go flying through the air after their wedding ceremony.

And then the way he had carried her into the house, hopping off the nimbus without even expecting her to walk in by herself. Being a gentlemen in the small things, whether he realized it or not (though at this point she was almost certain he did things without understanding their meaning).

“ _Oh, wow, so this is where we're going to live together for the rest of our lives, huh?”_

“ _Yes, Goku. Oh, do you like it?”_

“ _Yeah! It's great! But, Chi-Chi, why is there only one bed? Where are you gonna sleep?”_

“ _With you, silly.”_

“ _Huh? Like together?”_

“ _Of course. That's what married couples do, sweetheart.”_

“ _Oh, well, I haven't slept with anyone since I was a kid and I always slept with my grandpa back then. You know, Bulma always told me it was weird for a guy to sleep with a girl, but if you say so.”_

Chi-Chi giggled a little at the memory of just yesterday. He really was so innocent, even more so than her. At least she knew the basics of married life. Goku hadn't a clue. Which, of course, meant she'd had to show him every embarrassing detail of the more intimate matters. Her face flushed just at the memory. Thankfully, once he'd gotten started, he'd moved into an instinctual urge that almost frightened her. A few moments reminding him to be gentle, and their first night hadn't been all _too_ bad.

She brought a finger to her smiling lips and giggled again. Oh, not bad at all.

It wasn't until warm arms wrapped around her shoulders that she realized she'd lost her grip on Goku's hand. “Hey, Chi-Chi,” he said, his warm breath right in her ear.

Suppressing a shudder, she smiled and brought her smaller hands to rest on the arms holding her. “Good morning, Goku.”

He grunted at that, his voice bright and cheery when he responded in kind. “G'morning! But hey, I was wondering...”

“What is it, Goku?”

“That thing we did last night...” he whispered, kissing her jaw right beneath her ear. “Can we do it again?”

Closing her eyes, she sighed, laughing inside a bit at his eagerness. At least she knew he liked _'it.'_ If she was being honest, she liked it, too, even though it was incredibly new and scary and yet so wonderful she could only imagine what new things they would be able to uncover. Both under bedsheets and in their lives together from here on out.

“Yes, Goku,” she said, leaning back against his chest. “Just remember...”

“To be gentle,” he finished, a hand of his already on the move. “Yeah, I know.”


	2. Complicated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Oh right; the title is based on the song by Christina Perri; all my major pairing collections are based off of songs; sue me; I'm a music director; I love songs]

 

~!~

 

“ _I'm going to be the best wife in the world! Aren't you excited?” “Uh, sure.” - Chi-Chi and Goku, Dragonball_

 

~!~

 

Chi-Chi sighed as she stared out of the window in front of her sink. She had awakened this morning to find her husband had vacated the house. Wherever he had gone, he'd taken the power pole and a jug of water with him. Piecing together the things she knew about Goku, she assumed he was out training. Not a big deal. Not really. So he was an early riser. That just meant she'd have to work harder to hear him when he climbed out of bed.

Better yet, she'd have to wake up before him. That would be the best thing to do, if she could manage it. Of course, this required that she knew when he woke up. All she knew for now was that it was early, and he was far off in the forest enjoying his solitary training.

A few days wed and she still wasn't sure what it was he did out there. Maybe she should chase him down one day, go looking for him in that beast of a forest. She shook her head even as the thought crossed her mind. No, probably not a good idea. Not that she was worried about the creatures she might find in there, but she would feel too guilty if he came home and she _wasn't_ there to welcome him back.

She wanted to be the perfect wife. The best she could be and beyond. He deserved it. For saving the world, for accepting her even after his childhood promise had clearly been a mistake, for all he had done for her father to help make the wedding perfect. He deserved the best wife in the world.

But she had no idea what that meant to him.

Oh, there was no doubt that he loved sleeping with her, and he loved his food. He went insanely ecstatic whenever she cooked, though he never seemed satisfied when he cleaned out everything and realized too late that asking for seconds was impossible when there wasn't anymore to be had. She sighed again. She still hadn't figured out how much to cook for him, or when to start cooking so she'd have enough on hand when he started to clear through everything at an almost inhuman speed.

Not that Goku ever complained when they ran out. He understood limits. That much she should be thankful for, she supposed, even if it bothered her to the core.

She wanted to be the perfect wife for him, and she kept screwing it up.

“Hey, Chi-Chi!”

She turned at her name, at his voice, hearing the door open but not hearing the footsteps of his arrival. Pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind, she rushed over to the door to meet him already feeling a well of guilt for not having food ready for him when he returned. If she couldn't have something ready when he left in the morning, the least she could do was have something ready when he returned from his day.

But it wasn't even sunset yet!

“Goku, I-” she started, only to stop short when she saw why he hadn't walked into the house yet. “What is that?”

His grin reached all the way to the edges of his dripping wet hair. “Think this'll be enough for lunch?”

Feeling her eyes widen, she stepped out to take a better look at the giant fish on the lawn. Something her father would have caught and eaten, sure, but Goku – why did he look so proud of himself over a fish? What was she missing here?

“Uhm, Goku, I don't -”

His grin never dropped. There was a bounce in his step when he moved to stand in front of her, his hands wet when they touched her shoulders and left little water marks on her dress. His mouth was on hers before she could breathe, and when he pulled back she knew her cheeks were flushed for many reasons. He'd been doing that more after the first night together, too. Random kisses on random whims that caught her totally off guard. As much as she enjoyed it, she wished she could have enough warning to respond properly.

When she blinked up at him and didn't say anything, his grin faltered. “I thought you'd be happy about that one, at least.”

“Huh?”

“I thought you'd be happy about the kiss,” he clarified, tilting his head and looking at her like a confused little boy. “You know, since you seem to love it when I do that in -”

Her face flushed red instantly at the direction his words were going and she reached up on instinct to cover his mouth with her hands. Which only caused him to look more lost than before. “Goku, let's not talk about what we do in the bedroom unless we're in the bedroom. Okay?”

He nodded and she let out a breath, removing her hands with a little sparkle of blush still present in her cheeks. Oh, she could feel the heat there. How embarrassing. Was she really going to have to teach him everything? It wasn't that he was intentionally on the edge of being crass; he just didn't understand modesty too well. She sighed. Which meant, of course, that she'd have a lot to teach him after all. Great.

“Chi-Chi?” He said, getting her to look up at him again as he scratched his cheek. “I don't really get it, but I guess Krillin was right when he said married life was really complicated.”

She couldn't help but smile at that one, shaking her head slightly. Complicated was an understatement. This man before her was a beautiful human being, but he was _incredibly_ complicated. If it wasn't martial arts or food, he was like a child learning things for the first time, and yet he could still make her breath catch in her throat with small intimate gestures.

It wasn't so much married life that was complicated, she thought. Love. Love and all its strange little twists. That was the real complication.

“So, Chi-Chi, are you gonna cook that fish for me?”

“Goku, I don't think,” she wrinkled her nose at the smell wafting over in this direction, “I've never worked with a fish that big before.”

“Oh. Well. I guess I can do it myself.”

A hand on his arm. A raised eyebrow from him. A smile from her. “Let's do it together.”

“Sure!”

Before long, they were enjoying an activity together, laughing at every little thing as he showed her the best way to handle the large animal. She watched his movements and didn't even mind when he stole another kiss in the midst of their fun. That one, she told him later, did indeed make her happy, but not as happy as learning how to make him happy, learning how to be the best wife she could be for him.

After all, marriage complications were best overcome together, no matter how small, insignificant, or unspoken.


	3. Making History

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Need more Goku and Chi-Chi sparring in my life; for real though]

 

~!~

 

“ _Let's hear it for Goku and Chi-Chi! These blissful youngsters are the first opponents to ever leave the ring as a couple. Certainly this is the most surprising outcome of any match in the tournament's history!” - World Tournament Announcer, Dragonball_

 

~!~

 

“Right here should be a good place,” he grinned. “Don't you think so, Chi-Chi?”

Hopping down from the nimbus, he held a hand out for her to help her step down as well. Even if Nimbus lowered itself closer to the ground, he'd learned a few little gestures to make her happy over the past year. Little things he'd never thought of before – and still didn't understand why she liked them so much. Such as holding the door open for her, spending time in the house to help her out or just to talk, or offering a hand to help her down from Nimbus or over anything he would jump across easily. It always made her smile and this was no different. (And he did like seeing her smile).

Though once her feet were on solid ground, she looked around and then up to him in confusion. “A good place for what, Goku?”

“For a spar, of course!”

He watched as her eyebrows twitched, and then she frowned, looking away from him again to stare at the somewhat small clearing in the woods. He'd chosen this spot specifically because it was almost the same size and shape as the world tournament stage. It was reminiscent of that meeting about a year ago, and he was pretty excited to find out what her reaction would be to his clever outing idea.

“Uhm, I guess,” she said, her hand pulling from his as she started to walk around on the green grass. “I don't know why you're asking me -”

“'Cause I wanna spar with you,” he said, beaming as she turned to face him.

He'd been prepared for that response and now he was just waiting for her to light up as she realized what he was doing. Except she didn't. Her hesitant face dropped even further and she actually took a step back, which he didn't understand either.

“Chi-Chi?”

“Why?” she whispered, meeting his eyes as she brought her hands down to her side and started clinging to her dress. The movement and look in her eyes was too much like fear and he didn't understand at all. “Why me? You know I'm happy just being at home and -”

“Yeah, I know,” he said, stepping toward her and snatching her hand, trying to keep his smile even when he felt the tremors in her fingers. “But I wanted to do something special today.”

“ _Why?_ ” she pressed. “You're way too strong for me, Goku. You might -”

It was when the tears started hitting her eyes that he reacted in a panic. This was supposed to make her happy. Not upset her. He didn't like it when he upset her.

“Hey, Chi-Chi, it's okay,” he said as he placed his other hand on her shoulder. “I thought you'd like getting to spar just like we did a year ago. You know, kind of like -”

“You mean like an anniversary gift?”

He blinked. He wasn't sure what an anniversary gift was, but if it had anything to do with one year ago then - “Yeah, I guess.”

“Oh,” she said, a smile lighting her features at last. “Sorry, I thought -”

She drifted off in light laughter and leaned into him, one of her hands snaking around to cling to the back of his shirt. He blinked, not really understanding the giggles, but letting her cling to him if that was what she wanted to do. Besides, he kind of liked it when she leaned against him like that; he could smell that sweet scent from her hair when she was so close, and it always made him smile. Especially when the guys weren't around to watch, too; it had been kind of embarrassing when she'd grabbed onto him after his fight with Piccolo, but he hadn't really understood _intimacy_ back then, either.

“Goku, you're really hard to understand sometimes.”

As Chi-Chi pulled away from him and started messing with her hair, he felt his face pout. “You're the one that's hard to understand.”

She giggled, fixing her hair to the way she'd had it at the tournament, eyeing him with a familiar fire that made him swallow hard. Suddenly, he wanted to bring her back to him and forget the sparring match altogether. When she stepped back some more paces, creating a distance, his eyes followed her every movement, her smell drifting away from him and leaving him inwardly crying for more.

When she found a place she liked, she turned to him with a lopsided grin. “What's the matter, Goku? You wanted to spar, didn't you?”

He nodded, shaking off the subtle vibrations of that _intimacy_ thing. Later. He could act on those weird twinges later, if she let him. Right now he had something else he was going to do for her.

“Yeah, sorry, I think I spaced out for a second.”

It didn't take long for him to find a good position across from hers. Seeing her strike a stance made him grin. He loved watching her in martial arts poses, and it did bring back memories from their first fight. Her glare wasn't exactly the same, but he liked staring back at her eyes all the same. Even more so now that she wasn't angry at him for forgetting her.

He started to fall into a stance of his own, but then blinked when he remembered something. “Wait. Weren't you worried about fighting me earlier? You know I won't go all out, right?”

A small smile graced her face, but her eyes stayed still and focused. “I trust you, Goku. I was a little freaked out earlier because I didn't know what was going on, but I trust you.”

He grinned and nodded. “Good.”

Almost as soon as he fell into his stance, she was springing forward, faster than he remembered. Still not fast enough of course. He could dodge everything easily just like before…

~!~

_A flurry of movement suddenly came at him from the anonymous woman. She had a fighting style similar to his old master's but she wasn't near fast enough or strong enough to be a worry. He had to move fast but not too fast, and her blocked attacks didn't really bother him, either._

_He was much more worried about why she was so angry. Furious, just like her attacks. He tried asking her things, but she just yelled and attacked harder. He jumped up into the air to try to get a breather and figure things out without hurting her, but she followed him up. They danced through the air for a bit before coming down and setting their stances again._

_Maybe he could get her to talk and explain why she was so mad. He didn't like having people upset at him, and for some reason he really didn't like seeing her so unhappy at all. If only she could tell him why, but every question seemed to be met with more anger like it was only fueling her rage. What was he supposed to do?_

~!~

...A graze of a nail across his face and his dazing mind couldn't hold back his reaction. His fist flew on instinct and before he knew it, Chi-Chi was flying across the clearing and hitting a tree beyond the grass. His eyes widened and he chased after her immediately, rushing over even as she rubbed her head.

“Chi-Chi, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to -”

She only laughed at him, hands at the back of her head as she looked up at him. “Just like last time, huh?”

He grimaced, remembering the last time as accidentally hurting her then, too. “I'm sorry I really didn't -”

“Hush, I'm fine,” she insisted, letting out a heavy breath as he got on his knees beside her and reached out to put his hands behind her head, wanting to make her feel better after messing it up. “That was fun, Goku, and a nice anniversary. Though this is the part where you're supposed to propose so I don't know what you're planning if you want to keep the reenactment -”

He couldn't help it. Her cheeks were flushed from the spar. Her dress a little wrinkled and off place. Her eyes were filled with such happiness and love. And her scent was going to drive him insane.

So he kissed her.

This time it wasn't meant to be for her, but for him and he felt a little guilty but the _intimacy_ feelings were back stronger than before. As if the fight and the memory had gotten to him, too. He didn't care if they were in the woods instead of the house. So the kiss was a bit longer, a bit deeper, and a bit wetter than he would have normally done if he was just trying to make her smile.

When he pulled back, he was almost straddling her and she was against the tree, breathing heavy as her eyelids fluttered in an effort to meet his gaze. He licked his lips subconsciously. He wanted her. He wasn't sure if she was going to allow it, but he wanted her so bad right now; he wanted to hear her say his name.

“Goku...” when she did, he reached out to her dress folds, searching for a way to gently remove the clothes but hesitating when his brain switched back on to remind him to wait.

Biting his lip, he groaned and met her eyes again. “Chi-Chi. Can I?”

There was a pause. A long silence in which he thought for sure she was going to say no. But then her face flushed red and she nodded. His heart sang and he leaned over to kiss her again.

A pleasant anniversary for the both of them. One day, he'd have to remember to ask her what that meant exactly.


	4. Rivalry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chi-Chi has a baby shower. Goku doesn't understand.

 

~!~

 

“ _It's the woman you live with for the rest of your life!” - Krillin, Dragonball_

 

~!~

When he agreed to live with her for the rest of his life, he didn't anticipate being kicked out of the house like this. She'd insisted, though. Said it was the perfect time for him to go out and disappear for a few days training. Normally, he'd probably agree with her, take her up on the offer to leave and train in the woods by himself. She _was_ the main reason he came back every day. But this was different.

It was _cold_ out here.

And women he didn't know kept showing up and going into his house. He recognized the smell of most of them, little scents that reminded him of the wedding and somewhat of Ox-King's kingdom, too. Like Chi-Chi's hometown was moving into his house in the middle of the winter...on the same day that Chi-Chi had kicked him out.

He didn't understand. Just like he didn't understand when some of them would point up to where he sat on Nimbus and whisper amongst themselves. One of the older ladies even smiled and waved. He probably should have waved back but he didn't feel like it right now. Not when _they_ were allowed in the house with his wife and he was stuck up here, rubbing his arms in the cold as he watched them disappear inside one by one.

He lasted a few more minutes before the cool breeze wafted through his training gi and he decided he'd had enough. When Chi-Chi wanted her space, Goku was more than willing to give it to her. On more than one occasion over their time together, he'd left the house to give her time to cool off; sometimes when she was upset it was better for him to be there to comfort; other times it was better for him to be away. He still wasn't sure which was which, but she usually let him know. And he had no problem doing what she wanted; he'd do whatever it took to make her happy, after all.

But this…

Hopping down from the nimbus, Goku stepped up to his house and opened the door. This wasn't making any sense to him and he wanted to know why. All these visitors and he was supposed to stay away? Why?

The smell was the first thing to hit him. When he was outside in the open air, the only scents he noticed had been the familiar odors of Chi-Chi's hometown, each person slightly different but all amassing that same idea that made him think of Ox-King and their village. Or kingdom. Or whatever it was called. Now, however, there were several other scents all smashed together in one area without the open air to help them drift away. His hand went to cover his nose instantly and his eyes even started to water at the overwhelming odor of all types of fake-nature smells. Too much all all once and from every direction.

“Oh, gosh,” he gagged. “What's going on?”

Besides the smell, there was a crowd of women all in the one room. Chi-Chi was sitting in the center table, a pile of gifts surrounding her, a hand on her bloated belly. Naturally his eyes went to her first and of course hers were there to meet his gaze. She seemed a little surprised to see him, blinking slowly as her mouth opened in order to speak.

Before she could say anything, another woman grabbed his arm and Goku was successfully distracted from his wife. “You poor dear, you're freezing.”

“Uh,” he blinked, looking down at the one holding his arm. “No, I'm fine. It's a little cold, but -”

And then there was another hand on his other arm. “Oh, you're right, Cheria; his skin is cold as ice.”

When they both started rubbing at his arms as if trying to make him warm up, he felt his eye twitch. He didn't really like other people touching him so much. Not after what Chi-Chi had shared with him. Speaking of…

He glanced up and caught his wife's gaze again, seeing her mouth twitch. She wasn't upset but he could tell that she was going to be soon. Ever since this _pregnancy_ thing, she'd had more ups and downs in her mood and he'd grown better at reading the little signs. Normally, he'd leave if he could, but retreating back into the cold didn't sound like a fun idea either. Maybe he could face her head on and figure out what was going on without pushing her into another mood.

“Hey,” he grumbled. “Could you let go of me?”

He wanted to get to Chi-Chi and they were holding him back, but he didn't want to just push away and hurt them either. Thankfully, both women had no issue dropping their hold and Goku was quickly free to rush over to his wife. He caught some giggles and “lucky” and “husband” but he didn't really care what they were talking about; he was much more focused on the fact that Chi-Chi seemed to be glaring at him when he finally managed to walk up and stand beside her at the table.

“I thought you were going to train, Goku.”

Scratching his head, he laughed a little. “Yeah, well, I noticed other people kept showing up at our house and I didn't want to leave you alone.” Her eyes narrowed and he tensed. Was that the wrong thing to say? How was wanting to protect her a bad thing? “I know normally you can protect yourself just fine, Chi, but...” His gaze dropped to her bloated belly. “...with the baby, I don't -”

“Oh,” her eyes instantly shimmered and her smile made his tense shoulders relax. “That's sweet, Goku, but you really don't have to worry.”

With a hum, he put his hands to his side and leaned over slightly to whisper closer to her ear, looking over at the number of women currently filling his house. “What's going on, Chi-Chi?”

She sighed, pulling her hair over her shoulder and brushing at it with her fingers; his eyes were instantly entranced by the motion. “It's called a baby shower, Goku. Everyone brings a gift for the baby that's going to be born soon; it's usually just a thing for women so you don't have to be here. I didn't want you being bored.”

“Huh...” He blinked, glancing around again and wrinkling his nose 'cause that awful conglomeration of different strange smells was still there. “Okay.”

“It won't last too long.”

He nodded, straightening up. “Okay. I'll go back outside then.”

Before he could walk off, her hand grabbed his shirt and he blinked down at her, surprised to see concern in her face. “You're just going to sit outside? You're not going to train or anything?”

“Nah,” he said with a grin. “I'll feel better being close by.”

Her hand dropped. “Oh. Well, my dad should -”

As if on cue, the Ox-King walked up behind them both, slapping a jacket over Goku's shoulders and nearly making him fall over from the surprise push. Chi-Chi's father was always smacking his back like that and every time it caught him off guard a little. The Ox-King wasn't the strongest guy in the world by any stretch of the imagination but his size alone put more strength in his simple touches than what was normally expected from any other human. Still, Goku was growing accustomed to the occasional pats and although this one came as a surprise he straightened back up quickly, looking over at his wife and meeting Chi-Chi's blush with one of his own.

“Goku, m'boy, let's have a moment to ourselves and leave these women to their antics.”

“Uh,” Goku blinked, absentmindedly putting his arms through the jacket he'd been given; it felt strange on top of his gi but he didn't really feel like changing right now either. “Sure.”

His father-in-law nodded, slapped him on the back again, and headed for the door, but Goku turned his attention back to his wife for one last thing. The smells in the room were driving him insane so he wanted to get one thing from Chi-Chi before he went back outside. Leaning down, he wrapped her close and buried his face in her hair, taking in the scent of _her_ and ignoring everything else. If he could focus on her alone, everything else assaulting his senses would disappear.

“Goku,” she mumbled against him. “What are you-?”

With her smell alone left to him, he pulled away enough to be able to tilt her head and kiss her open lips. Normally, these kisses were for her alone, but he was slowly growing addicted to not only her scent but her taste as well. If he was going to have to deal with all these other people stealing her attention, he wanted to at least have her in all his senses. No one else could have this part of her.

It was all for him, and he was beginning to realize this was what love meant. When he pulled away, she was breathless and flushed but smiling. Her hand touched his cheek and he smiled back. Her eyes shimmered and then she was leaning up to catch his lips in another kiss. As if to send a message of her own – that no one else could have this part of him, either.


	5. Unbreakable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The birth of Gohan - from Goku's point of view.

~!~

 

“ _He's my son. Pretty wild, huh?” - Goku, Dragonball Z_

 

~!~

Her grip on his hand was tighter than ever before. She'd never held onto him like this. Not when riding Nimbus, not when he'd first proposed, not even when they were doing that _intimacy_ thing. Although she was lying in bed, he was kneeling on the floor beside her. Her eyes were shut as she groaned and tensed, tossing her head back and forth across the pillow. Sweat beaded on her face and after a moment she relaxed, her grip loosening a bit though his remained clinging to her.

“Chi-Chi,” he gulped. “There has to be something I can do.”

Her eyes found his then, and she smiled through the haze of lingering pain. “You're doing enough, Goku.”

Because holding her hand was enough? He didn't understand such logic. Not when he had to watch her suffer. His other hand reached out to stroke her cheek, pushing back strands of sweaty black hair. She smiled some more and leaned into his touch, closing her eyes.

This had all been explained to him. How this was normal. How it was supposed to happen this way. Apparently, giving birth was one of the roughest experiences on women everywhere. He hadn't understood then, and he certainly didn't understand now. Why would so many people accept such pain as normal? How was he expected to just sit here and do nothing?

“Chi-Chi-”

“Goku,” her strained whispered words caused him to forget his own. “Call the midwife.”

He blinked. “The what?”

With a groan, her hand clenched his again, and he leaned forward against the bed as she spoke. “Get – get my dad, then.”

“Oh,” he said, sitting back, trying to smile. “I already did. He's on his way here now.”

“Good,” she breathed, relaxing again. “The contractions are getting closer together.”

Frowning, he tilted his head to the side. “Contractions?”

All these terms she threw at him confused him. She'd been trying to explain this whole process to him for the last month, but he still wasn't sure what all those weird words meant. The descriptions of what would happen when she finally started to have the baby...that still made him cringe. He wasn't sure he wanted to be in the room when all that was going on, but he knew he would have to stay close by if just for her sake.

Honestly, the idea that there was a baby in her stomach right now still sounded weird to him, though she'd explained that it wasn't really her stomach. It still looked like she'd had way too much eat and it wasn't going away anytime soon. Except now, soon, it would. There was a whole other person growing inside of her and apparently by the end of the birthing process, Goku would finally get to see a newborn baby. Chi-Chi had said she'd seen a few born in the villages of her father's kingdom, but Goku was going to experience something new and exciting and...well it would be a lot more exciting if Chi-Chi wasn't hissing or grimacing in so much pain. He wanted to see this new person that he and his wife created, but he didn't want to see her suffering so much in the process.

Before she could quell his curiosity, the door to their bedroom slammed open and a loud but normally jovial voice echoed through the room. “Chi-Chi! Papa's here, sweetheart, and I brought the midwife with me!”

Goku turned to the doorway to see Ox-King ushering in a small older woman with darting eyes and a no-nosense look about her. Oh. A midwife was that other woman who had been around to talk to Chi-Chi about the baby growing inside of her. The term still didn't make sense to him, but he was glad to see that his wife could have what she asked for earlier after all.

Both of them came around to the bed, Ox-King going so far as to stand behind Goku and set a hand on his shoulder. Anytime Chi-Chi's father was around, he seemed to do something like that. A hand on his shoulder. A pat on the back. Little gestures he didn't do with Chi-Chi, or anyone else for that matter. Was it something fatherly? Since his wife's family was now his own, too, did that mean Ox-King suddenly treated him like a son even in all those little things? Was thiswhat he was expected to do with his own son?

A cry from Chi-Chi broke him from his thoughts and he squeezed her hand in reaction, while her nails dug into his skin. “Chi-Chi! Are you okay? Please, if there's something I can do to help -”

“You can go outside and wait is what you can do.”

The voice from the older woman struck him by surprise. Blinking, Goku turned from his wife to stare at the lady standing across the bed. She was making shooing motions with her hands, as if he was a pest in the way. At the very thought of being away from his wife while she was clearly in pain, he lowered his eyes and felt a growl bubble its way up from the back of his throat. Something fierce and protective that he hadn't ever felt before filled him as he stared down the midwife.

“I won't leave her.”

“Oh, nonsense,” the lady said. “This is women's work. You boys both would be best served waiting outside.”

He opened his mouth again, but Chi-Chi's father rumbled above him. “Ridiculous. We can at least be here to assist you -”

“Not necessary,” the woman said, lifting an arm toward the doorway where a young girl was walking in with a handful of items. “I already have an assistant. One is enough, especially when I don't have to explain too much to her. I have a feeling a lot of explanations would be needed if I were to enlist you two as helpers.”

Was that an insult? Goku felt his eyes narrow further. He didn't always catch it when people made fun of him for misunderstanding something or for being slow to learn a concept outside of martial arts. Though this one may have been correct, he still didn't like her attitude right now. Chi-Chi needed him here. He wasn't going to -

“Goku,” at his wife's voice, he stopped and immediately turned back to the bed. “Go...go ahead. I'll be okay.”

He blinked. “Are you sure?”

Chi-Chi gave a small nod. “I'll be fine.”

Although he wanted to argue with her, he knew better by now. If it was what she wanted, then he would give in, no matter how much he was craving to stay by her side. With a sigh, he leaned over and left her with a kiss. She always enjoyed those, and it was an easy way to calm them both down. To his surprise, she looked angry when he pulled back.

“Goku,” she snapped. “Don't do that _now_.”

At first, he didn't understand. She usually loved it when he kissed her, and he loved making her happy. Why was she looking at him with such fierce fire in her eyes? Even her face was red -

A pat on his shoulder and he remembered. Other people were present. Ox-King and the midwife and the young assistant. Chi-Chi didn't like showing intimacy in front of other people. She'd told him that before, that kissing and anything they did in the bedroom was reserved for the bedroom and nothing else. Even if sometimes he broke the rule – and sometimes she seemed fine with breaking it – today was not one of those moments. One day, he'd have to figure out the differences, but for now he decided to pull away, stand up, and lift his hands in a gesture of surrender.

“Sorry,” he said. “I'll leave if that's what you want.”

The blush in her face slowly died, her hand falling to the sheets of the bed and gripping there instead. “Yeah. I'll see you when it's all over, okay?”

He nodded. “Okay. Call me if you need me. I won't be far.”

A grateful smile flitted across her face, but then she tensed up again as another wave of pain no doubt hit her. He held back his urge to stay; he'd already said he would leave, so he was going to leave, no matter what happened. Turning and moving past Ox-King, Goku made sure to grab his power pole before leaving the room. If he was going to have to sit outside while all this birthing stuff was happening, he wanted to have something to do. Some way to pass the time, and his lucky power pole was always a handy way to accomplish a form of exercise while wasting time.

Besides, it would give his hands something to hold on to so he didn't accidentally smash something too close to the house.

Once he was outside and a decent distance from the house, Goku instantly dropped into a stance. A string of kata followed. One movement. Then another. All in quick succession and getting quicker as he flowed through each form. Once he formed a rhythm, his thoughts started to take over.

Worry for Chi-Chi hit him hard and when her cry echoed from the window, he nearly dropped the power pole in the middle of a stance change. His fingers managed to grasp it in time before the pole hit the ground, but he still found himself turning back to the house. Should he rush in and check on her? Her ki seemed fine. Though it was fluctuating strangely and there was a stronger sense of the other presence he had been growing accustomed to, the ki from the baby growing inside her. Was it time? Had the baby come yet?

A louder cry and he turned away, gritting his teeth, setting his stance again to begin the kata anew. No. Someone would come get him when it was time. They'd told him as such before this all started. If for any reason he had to leave the room with her, then when it was time for him to come back, someone would be sure to let him know. Until then, all he could do was wait and keep an eye on her ki. Obviously, if for any reason her energy dropped, he would be in there whether they allowed it or not, but for now things were fine.

“Goku, m'boy,” the voice of the Ox-King managed to put his thoughts to rest, though his kata continued at a steady speed. “Take a break. You've been at that for hours.”

Hours?

He slowed his movements, bringing the red pole to his side and turning to face his father-in-law, who was sitting at the doorway to his house. It wasn't until he stopped that he realized how heavy his breathing had become. His heart rate was up, too. Why hadn't he noticed before? The meditative qualities of repetition must have gotten to him; he'd lost track of his own body for the sake of keeping his senses trained on Chi-Chi. Now his arms and legs were sporting aches he shouldn't have; usually, he was much better at keeping things controlled in the midst of training exercises.

“Has it really been that long?”

In answer to his question, the Ox-King merely lifted his hand toward the sky above them and then nodded. Glancing up, Goku felt his eyes widen. Sunset. Already the sun was reaching the horizon, filling the skies with oranges and purples as it dropped lower and lower. It really _had_ been that long. So why was Chi-Chi still in there? Why had no one come to get him? What could be taking so long?

His power pole nearly slipped out of his hand and he had to grip his fingers around it tightly to keep from dropping it. His eyes scanned his house, training on the window to his bedroom. Her ki was still there, still fine, but why had it been hours since this had all started?

“Goku,” his father-in-law's voice rumbled from the doorway. “Come here. Talk with me for a while. You might hurt yourself if you keep up that pace.”

He shifted the weight between his feet as he juggled with the idea. Chi-Chi's father spoke some sense. He did need a break. He'd been going at it too hard for too long, and all without realizing it. Training exercises for lengthy periods of time was fine – his training regiment under Master Roshi was proof of that – but there had to be some variety and some breaks. Rest was important. He didn't want to overwork himself. And if he was going to lose touch of reality like that, then he probably shouldn't be repeating katas mindlessly.

With a sigh, he walked over to the doorway where Ox-King sat, making sure to set his pole against the nearby wall before sitting down next to him. “I don't understand half of what's going on.”

Ox-King simply nodded. “It can be somewhat complicated if you've never experienced it before.”

Goku frowned. “Why did she have to kick us out? Why was Chi-Chi okay with it?”

“Goku,” his father-in-law said as he slapped an arm around his shoulders. “Women are complicated creatures, and in hindsight you probably don't want to be in there to see the actual birth firsthand. It's not a pretty event.”

“Yeah, but -”

“Relax,” the Ox-King said, shaking him a little before giving him a quick pat on the back. “It won't be long now, and then you'll be a father.”

“A father,” he repeated, staring up at the sky.

“Are you ready for it?”

“I don't know,” he muttered. “I don't really know what to expect. Or what Chi-Chi would expect of me.”

Laughter roared from his father-in-law, shaking the door they were both leaning against. “Not many people do, Goku. You'll be okay. You're a good man.”

His mouth opened to give a response, but at that moment another sound entered into the darkening air. A different kind of cry. When he focused harder on Chi-Chi's ki, he was able to identify the other one floating around her. The one that felt a little like him and a little like her. Much clearer than it had ever been before, as if a sheet had been pulled back to reveal the energy underneath.

For this reason, he was on his feet before the door ever opened, and when the old woman's assistant muttered something about how he could come in now, he shot past her in a flurry of movement. Once he made it to the bedroom, he froze. Chi-Chi was sitting up in the bed now and a small bundle rested in her arms, a tiny human suckling at the nipple of her bare breast. For a moment, he stayed there and stared, watching them both until Chi-Chi looked up.

“Oh, Goku,” she said, inviting him over with a smile. “Come say hi to our baby boy.”

He didn't need to be told twice. Once he was by the bed, he put his hands to his knees and leaned over to get a better look at the baby in his wife's arms. His son. Their son. He was a father. The responsibility of the situation hit him as he stared at how tiny and helpless the boy looked.

“He's so tiny,” he murmured.

“Of course, dear,” Chi-Chi murmured back. “All babies are. But look, he has something of yours.”

Black eyes were currently holding him, but a shift of Chi-Chi's arms revealed something else to catch his gaze. “A tail!”

“Yep,” Chi-Chi said. “He has a tail all right.”

“Just like me,” Goku said, grinning wide as he faced his son. “Do you hear that? You have a tail just like your daddy.”

He could hear Chi-Chi hum next to him; he could smell her sweet scent and sense her pleasure. Their son dropped his hold on his mother's breast and gaped up at him, gazing with wide and curious eyes. Feeling his grin grow, Goku held still and watched the tail move around the blankets in Chi-Chi's arms, watched those wide expansive eyes staring up at him.

He reached out with one hand, poking a finger close to his son's hand. At first, there was no different response, just a blink and a continued stare. But then the boy reacted to his close proximity and very lightly grabbed a hold of Goku's finger, needing a full hand to close around the very tip.

A noise escaped the baby boy, an attempt at laughter of his own, and Goku laughed along with him. He glanced over to his wife, saw her smiling, a shine in her eyes. “So,” he breathed. “I'm a father now.”

She nodded, “Yes, Goku. A wonderful husband, and now the father of our very own baby boy.”

A wife and now a son. As he looked between them both, he smiled and made a promise to himself. A promise to always protect both of them, no matter what.


	6. Obsession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Family fluff as Goku contemplates Chi-Chi's obsession with making Gohan a scholar]

 

~!~

“ _Gohan, someday you're going to be a great scholar.”_

“ _A scholar?!”_

“ _Goku, there's no reason for him to have to fight. If we raise him to be a scholar then he'll really be able to help people.”_

_\- Chi-Chi and Goku about Gohan, Dragonball Z, episode 166_

~!~

 

“Gohan, can you point out which color is blue?” Chi-Chi said, repeating the color. “Blue.”

A pause echoed through the room. Goku concentrated on his push-ups, listening to his breathing and making sure to keep it even and steady as he started working his way closer to his first hundredth push-up. His thumb pressed into the hard wood of the floor and his thoughts were already starting to wander. Until his son made a noise and his wife exclaimed brightly.

“Yes, exactly that,” she was beaming when he looked up. “Good job, Gohan. You're so smart.”

His son was sitting in Chi-Chi's lap, laughing and clapping his hands together while his wife praised him for something that seemed so simple. Goku blinked as he watched Chi-Chi turn the page in the book she was reading and went on to ask Gohan another question about colors. It all felt and sounded rather strange to him, but if that was how this schooling thing worked then he guessed it made sense.

Shortly after Gohan's birth, Chi-Chi had started insisting that he would be a scholar when he grew up, and not a fighter like his dad. At first, Goku had protested. A little. After all, he had enjoyed learning martial arts with his grandfather and a part of him really wanted to share that experience with his own son. But in the end, he knew Chi-Chi had a point about what was most likely best for their child. She knew more about the finer details of the outside world than he did. Sure, Goku had been around the world and he'd always been happy living off the land and spending his days training or helping strangers.

But was his lifestyle the best for his son?

Chi-Chi had grown up in a kingdom with a father who had also trained in martial arts, but she'd had other people to compare herself to and she insisted that wasting your life on martial arts only was a bad idea. Even if Goku liked what he'd turned out to be, he could admit that there was a lot he didn't know. Besides, he wanted Chi-Chi to be happy. If she would be happier having Gohan study all the time, then he didn't see a problem with giving in to her ideal dreams. Especially after all that pain she'd suffered just to birth the boy.

“Goku.”

“Hm?”

When he focused back into existence instead of his thoughts, he found Chi-Chi sitting on the wooden floor without their son in her lap. She caught his gaze and nodded toward him, which only added to his confusion. Where had Gohan gone? Where was his son? He could still feel the little boy's ki so it shouldn't be too far.

“Dada,” a little voice called and Goku turned to see his son next to him on the floor attempting to mimic his pushups. “Dada.”

Both of the boy's small hands were on the floor and his body was jiggling as he tried to copy the up and down motion that his father was currently engrossed in. The little tail bounced along with him, weaving around as the boy tried to find and keep his balance. Goku laughed, stopped his pushups and sat up, crossing his legs on the hard wood floor. He reached out for Gohan, brought the boy to his lap and grinned down at him, earning a spark of laughter from the baby as a reward for his attention.

“Well,” Chi-Chi said. “You entertain him for a while. I'm going to start dinner.”

Goku broke the eye contact with his son and shared his smile with his wife. “Great! I'm starving!”

“You always are,” she murmured as she climbed to her feet and began to do as she said she would. “Even Gohan eats a lot for his age. No doubt that's your influence.”

Not having much of a response for her, he met her smile, earned a sigh and a shake of the head, and then focused back on his son. Gohan was currently sitting still in his lap, big eyes watching him closely. A small hand reached out and poked at the symbol on Goku's gi, eyes looking up as if asking what it meant. Well, maybe Chi-Chi was right. Gohan's curiosity certainly would make him a great scholar, but at least the boy was somewhat interested in what Goku did.

“That's Master Roshi's symbol,” he said, taking Gohan's hand and tracing the character he seemed so interested in right now. “He's a martial arts master and my first teacher.”

Gohan looked up at him, face scrunching up as he tried to process all the words Goku had thrown at him in explanation. “Ma – ma – ma -”

“Oh, now what have you got him saying, Goku?”

With a laugh, he turned attention to his wife across the kitchen. “Not much, really. He's trying, though.”

“There's no reason for him to -”

“Oh, I know,” he assured, turning a smile back to his babbling son. “He was the one asking about it.”

Chi-Chi sighed, “He's a baby, sweetheart. He can't ask anything.”

“Sure he can!” Goku said, lifting Gohan up to stand in his lap, making sure to be gentle with the soft skin of his child, even as he held him up. “You're a smart boy, aren't you, Gohan? You can do whatever you want.”

A squeal was his response, followed by hands touching at his face. Gohan liked having contact with his parents, always reaching or touching or holding onto one of them. Not that Goku minded in the least, and he really had no clue what to expect from a baby so it wasn't like he knew if the obsession with closeness was a bad thing.

Fingers clawed into his hair and he winced, looking at his son with one eye open. “Hey, now, that's my hair, Gohan.”

“Dada,” Gohan said, dropping his grip and patting at the springy hair instead. “Dada.”

“Yeah,” Goku laughed. “Me.”

“Goku.”

“Hm?”

Turning attention to his wife, he found her hands moving quickly around the counter and stove. The smell of roasting meat was already starting to fill the room, and his stomach growled in anticipation. He absolutely loved her cooking and it only seemed to get better as the years went by, her speed and timing in preparing meals also improving as she learned not only what he loved to eat but how much he could put away in one sitting. Even if she had fretted at first, he spent as much time as he could trying to express how she was perfect to him. The fact that she could put up with him – and take care of the baby too – impressed him.

“Goku,” she repeated, not even stopping her work. “Why don't you feed Gohan for me?”

He grinned. “Sure!”

Holding his son close, he got to his feet and then made his way to the special chair near their dinner table. Chi-Chi had brought it into the house once Gohan had reached a certain age, or maybe it was once the boy was able to sit up and start moving around on his own. Whatever the case, the high chair had become an interesting addition to their table and it was kind of nice to have Gohan actually join in the meal instead of having to be fed by his wife alone.

“There you go,” he said, sliding Gohan into place and then looking around for the special baby food Chi-Chi had started buying. “Hey, Chi, where's the -”

“Right here,” she said, suddenly beside him and handing him the jar of baby food. “I have some pasta shapes, too. Try and see if he'll eat those on his own first.”

With a smile, he watched her work, smiling along to whatever she said. “Oh okay.”

Once Chi-Chi finished filling Gohan's tray with cooked pasta shapes, she stood back and took a bit of a breather from her work. “There. You know, if you want to try to teach him what all those shapes are, it would be good for him.”

“Nah,” Goku said, setting a hand on her shoulder. “I'll leave the teaching to you. You seem to know what you're doing.”

Sly eyes glanced at him as Chi-Chi faced him and poked at his chest, right near the symbol of his first teacher. “Oh? But what if he asks you something?”

At her look, he put a hand behind his head and laughed sheepishly. “Well, then I'll answer I guess. But really, it looks like Gohan's more interested in eating than learning right now.”

Chi-Chi sighed as she turned back to their son, watching him wolf down the pasta shapes at a pace beyond any normal baby. “Like father like son.”

Goku could only smile in response.


	7. Eternity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Goku and Chi-Chi enjoy a picnic with a young Gohan]

 

~!~

“ _These are precious times. Being together is everything.” - Goku, Dragonball Z, episode 171_

~!~

 

Blanket?

Check. A red and white checkered one to be exact. Throwing it down on the dew dropped grass, she then had to make sure everything was just so. Not too many folds overlapping or corners rolling up. Yes, there, that should do it.

Next item of importance: baskets full of food.

Check.

She pulled those out of the bag one at a time, careful with the ones that held the still-mostly-fresh heated dishes. Goku had been gracious enough to agree to this silly spring outing – he had even carried the bag of assorted goods for her. True, using the nimbus was a bit of a cheap tactic, but she was happy to be able to offer what she could in the variety of food selection. He should be more than satisfied.

Once all the food was set out, there were only a few items left. Paper plates, cups, and plastic utensils. Napkins, not that Goku would remember to use them, but she certainly would need some, especially when feeding Gohan.

And a small book for her precious baby boy to read once they were finished eating. After all, she had to make sure he kept up his study habits. Having him reading at such a young age already made her immensely proud, but it would be foolish to stop there.

Almost three years had passed since Gohan was born and the boy was already reading simple books on his own. In time, he would no doubt exceed far and above her own expectations. She couldn't wait to see what kind of future he would have. Nothing like hers or his father's, she hoped. No, she wanted Gohan to be well respected in society, to help people the normal way without having to risk life and limb to save the world.

To stay safe.

Looking up, Chi-Chi stared across the meadow. The sweet scents of spring filled the air, of new life everywhere, of fresh grass and flowers. She could almost taste the purified water from the nearby pond – or maybe that was her mouth watering at the smell of a wholesome home cooked meal.

Goku's laughter, mixing with her son's, echoed from behind the hill and she smiled at the sound. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she took a deep breath and called her husband's name, pleased to hear it carry on the wind. "Goku!"

The laughter subsided but after a moment she knew he had heard her. Gohan's hat and smiling face were the first things she saw to break the hill, and  _then_  her husband's mess of black hair as they both slowly appeared in her vision. Goku lifted a hand and waved at her, his other hand busy holding their son on his shoulders. Chi-Chi smiled at his bright eyes and waved back. Gohan noticed and joined in the waving, his tail mimicking the action in the air behind them both.

As Goku walked up, she noticed the half eaten apple in Gohan's hands and she sent a playful glare to her husband. "Snacks are meant to come  _after_  lunch time, Goku."

Her husband winced, knowing he'd been caught breaking a rule, but he covered it up by laughing lightly as he took Gohan off his shoulders and set him down beside her, apple and all. "Aw, Chi-Chi, it's only one. He'll be fine."

"Oh, sure," she said, "And then it'll be two and then three and before you know it, he'll have the same bad habits you do."

Goku's sheepish smile told her enough, but then he sat down, eyes lighting up at the spread before him. "Wow, Chi-Chi, this looks great!"

With a small sigh, she met his smile with one of her own, giving him a nod to let him know he could dig in whenever he wanted. It was impossible to stay mad at him. Goku always reacted first and thought later, giving in to their son's demands at every opportunity. His one driving motivation seemed focused on keeping them happy, even if sometimes that meant upsetting her rules for Gohan's sake.

When she turned attention to her baby boy, she found him taking the last few bites of the apple. As he chewed, his tail danced behind him and a little juice from the fruit dripped down his chin. After a moment, he looked up at her, his eyes shining as his grin lit up her heart the same way his father's did all the time. Staying mad at either of them was a lost cause.

"Gohan," she said as she began filling a plate with food for him. "Did you enjoy that apple?"

His little hat bounced as he nodded, the shine from the four-star dragonball reflecting against the sunlight. He held the apple core out to her, too but all without saying a word. Gohan didn't like to talk much; he was a quiet and obedient child, doing whatever she asked without complaint – most of the time. She'd recently discovered Goku giving him things after she'd already said "no," such as the apple before lunch.

At least it wasn't junk food.

"Well," she said as she took the apple core and set a plate of food out for him. "Just make sure you eat all of your lunch. I'd hate for you to fill up on a single fruit."

He smiled at her again, his tail waving behind him. "Okay, Mommy. I will."

Hearing his own little voice call her such always hit a soft spot inside her. Her heart sang and she glanced over to Goku as if to bring attention to the fact. Even in the midst of his feast, her husband caught her gaze and lowered his plate from his face enough to smile at her, his eyes shining in the afternoon sun. Moments like these were what she lived for. Small little looks across a picnic blanket in the middle of spring. Smiles without words. All the little moments to remind her of all the reasons she loved her little family.

~!~

Feeling warm and satisfied, Goku hummed as Chi-Chi ran her fingers through his hair. Her lap was soft and pleasant – and he could smell her above all the other overpowering springtime scents from here. After such a wonderful lunch, taking a nap with the family out among all the nature made him feel relaxed and content. He could stay out here forever – as long as he also stepped away for the occasional training workout, of course.

But for now, this was...nice.

"Oh, Goku," Chi-Chi said into the comfortable silence. "Look at him."

With a blink, he opened his eyes and turned his head to see what she was talking about, feeling a smile leave him at the sight. "Little guy's pretty tired out."

Gohan had fallen asleep on top of his study book. His cheek was plastered into the book pages and his thumb was in his mouth, sucking very lightly in his sleep. Completing the picture, the brown monkey tail passed down from his father was now curled up behind him, uncurling in short movements at every small breath Gohan took. The hat lay on the blanket, having fallen off at the tilt of his head, allowing the wind to brush through his black hair.

"It's all that running around you two did before we ate."

At Chi-Chi's playful tone, Goku laughed and turned his head back to her. "Yeah, maybe."

Her hand pushed back a section of bangs from his head as she met his eyes for a moment, but then she looked back toward their son with a frown. "I hope he doesn't drool in his sleep and ruin those pages."

When she shifted around – as if she was about to kick him off and go to their son – he reached up and pulled her head down instead. Kissing her was always a successful way to distract her, and as long as no one else was around it was fair game, too. Of course it took her by surprise and when he dropped his hold, she blinked down at him with flushed cheeks.

"Goku..."

He grinned. "Don't worry about it so much. He'll be fine."

A softness entered her eyes as she glanced back toward their son. From this vantage point he could watch the short struggle take place on her face. The dip into concern. The chewing of her bottom lip in consideration. The eventual breathy sigh – which he could also feel, his head being in her lap – as she turned back to him.

"I suppose it doesn't matter," she said. "He has read that book several times already."

Goku blinked at the information, temporarily distracted from the beauty of his wife. Why would Chi-Chi give Gohan a book if he had already read it before? Why would Gohan appear to be so interested in something if that were true? One thing was for certain. He would never understand this study business. Best to just trust Chi-Chi; she seemed to know what she was doing.

"Goku."

He blinked again, caught in the middle of his thoughts. "Huh?"

"Are you happy?"

He tilted his head, again confused by the question. "Huh?"

"Spending time with us like this," she said, a hand on his forehead, holding the bangs back so they could lock eyes without interruption. "Does it make you happy?"

"Yeah," he answered without hesitation. "I enjoy these moments."

To his confusion, she blinked as if she couldn't believe the answer. "Really? Don't you enjoy training more?"

"More?" He closed his eyes and hummed, actually having to think before he responded this time. Training was important to him; he loved spending his time working out and practicing his technique, but did that mean he liked it more than his new family? "I don't think so, Chi-Chi. I like both."

"Well, that's good," she said, her hand moving again, pushing back the bangs as her nails gently caressed through the rest of his hair; he hummed deeper in appreciation. "I'm glad."

"Why?"

"Hm?"

Opening one eye to look at her, he asked again. "Why did you ask if I was happy, Chi?"

She smiled down at him, but her eyes almost seemed sad. "You're always asking if I'm happy, and sometimes I wonder if you only stay with me out of obligation. I wanted to know what you really feel. I don't want you to hate your time here."

"Hate?" He repeated, frowning when she nodded. "No, that's not it."

"But what about your friends?" She pressed. "Don't you miss them?"

"A little, I guess." With a frown, he lifted a hand to her face, feeling the smooth skin under his rough palm. "But I wouldn't stay here if I didn't love you guys more. I really am happy, Chi-Chi."

_And I want you to be happy, too._

Stealing kisses after Gohan's birth had become fewer and farther between, but now he did it again. The look in her eyes, the startling shimmer, pushed him to move quickly, so he pulled her down for the second time that day and kissed her lips before she could ask another silly question. This time, he made it last, as if he could express how content he was to be here for her, that she didn't need to worry because as long as she was smiling then he could always smile back.


	8. Gateway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Goku calms Gohan down when a thunderstorm wakes both of them in the middle of the night]

 

~!~

“ _Well, he sure seems a lot different than you were when you were a kid, Goku.” - Krillin, Dragonball Z, episode 2_

~!~

Thunder rocked the house, but only two inhabitants of the three were startled awake by the noise. Goku stared up at the ceiling as the world came into focus. His dreams slowly drifted away until he wondered if he'd dreamed at all, and then the loud crash came again. He blinked once more, rubbed at his eye, and turned his head to frown at the softly breathing form of his still-sleeping wife.

Chi-Chi must have been exhausted if she was still asleep with all this noise. She _had_ been pretty active today, running around the house to make everything perfect for Gohan's birthday. As if anyone else would be over. Sure, Ox-King had dropped in and visited for the party because he hadn't missed a single birthday yet and had made it very clear he never would miss his grandson's important day. But Chi-Chi had insisted on the cake and decorations and gifts to help make their son feel special.

After four years Goku was beginning to understand the importance of a child's birthday. Gohan's smiles and excitement had seemed...different today.

Thunder crashed into his thoughts and pulled him back into the present. With a yawn, Goku sat up in bed, letting the covers slide down. He scratched his head, blinked his eyes, and yawned again as the sound (and smell) of heavy rain pounded against the house.

As he stared into the darkness, another noise entered into the night – the cry of a frightened child. Hands in his lap, Goku glanced over to his wife, expecting her to rise and take care of their son like always. But Chi-Chi was sound asleep and nothing was going to phase her from her rest. He didn't feel like waking her up, either. She deserved her sleep.

Besides, she looked so comfortable and relaxed. The most he dared to do was to reach out and move some strands of her hair, feeling the soft threads running through his fingers. She shifted a little but he held still and soon she was back to humming softly in her sleep. Goku smiled, leaned over to kiss Chi-Chi on the forehead, and then pulled himself out of bed.

A flash of lightning lit his way as he walked the hallway in shorts and a tank top. Thunder rumbled and once he reached the other bedroom he could hear Gohan's light whimpering behind the angry sounds of nature. He sighed, rubbed the back of his head, and opened the door to his son's room.

A twitching monkey tail was the first thing to catch his eye, and he quickly followed the shaking appendage to the small bundle shivering under a wrap of bedsheets and blankets. With a sigh and a half smile, Goku walked over to the bed and set a hand on the bundle under the covers. The trembling stopped for a moment but at another crash of thunder it only managed to start up again. The boy's tail even reached out to wrap around Goku's wrist as if searching for comfort.

“Gohan,” he said softly into the quiet after the thunder. “There's nothing to be afraid of, son.”

Two little eyes peeked out from the edge of the sheets. “Daddy?”

Goku smiled. “Yeah. You gonna come out of there?”

Tiny tears welled up in the eyes, but before Goku could try to rectify them, Gohan had crawled out from under the sheets and jumped toward him. Of course, he had to catch his son in his arms, blinking at the way the small hands clung to his tank top. The tail tightened around his wrist, too.

“Whoa, squirt,” he said. “That bad, huh?”

“I don't wanna sleep alone, Daddy.”

Unsure of whether to frown or smile, Goku found himself giving some mix of the two as he looked down at his trembling son. Gohan was easily frightened, something Goku couldn't really relate to because he had always approached the world head on. Still, he wanted nothing more than to calm his son down when he was like this. As his eyebrows dipped, he shifted a hand over to rub Gohan's back, pleased to hear the little sobs dying down.

“There,” he said as thunder rumbled in the distance. “Feel better?”

A little head nodded against his chest and Goku smiled. Nice and simple. Sometimes all Gohan needed was a presence, though Chi-Chi didn't usually come back to bed so soon. He blinked at the thought. There must be something he was missing then. Well, the tail certainly hadn't dropped its hold yet, even if Gohan had indicated how he was feeling better.

“Daddy?”

“Hm?”

Little eyes met his own. “Can you stay with me...like how Mommy does?”

Goku tilted his head. “Like Mommy? What does she normally do?”

“She sits in the chair with me,” Gohan mumbled, eyes turning to the other side of the room. “Until I fall asleep again.”

“Oh,” Goku blinked, repeating himself when he saw the rocking chair and recalled all the mornings waking up to see Chi-Chi asleep there. “ _Oh_. Yeah, sure, I can do that.”

Whatever it took to make his son smile like that, he'd do it a hundred times over, especially if it was as simple as sitting in a chair. The storm was already on its way out, too. As he walked across the room, he noticed the flash of lightning, but the thunder didn't follow until well after he sat down and Gohan had curled up against him. He smiled and rubbed his son's back until the tail around his wrist finally relaxed its hold. By then, Goku had closed his own eyes, leaned his head back, and drifted back into his own dreams.

~!~

“ _Hey, Grandpa, why's the sky so angry?”_

_Rain was nothing new to him, but seeing it pour down in sheets like this was interesting enough to keep him from looking away. He stood at the window, watching the trees outside bend in the wind. The cool scent of spring rain was strong, and the bright flash of light streaking across the sky had him gaping up in amazed wonder._

_But then that loud crash came again and he had to cover his ears. Even his tail fluffed up in protest. “It's so loud.”_

“ _That's thunder, Goku.”_

_Blinking, he turned from the window and dropped his hands. “Thunder?”_

_His Grandpa nodded and set a hand on his shoulder as he gazed out the window, too. “Yes, thunder. I suppose it's been a while since our last major thunderstorm and that's why you don't remember the sound.”_

“ _Huh? It's come before?”_

_Grandpa Gohan nodded again, lifting his hand to clasp it with the other behind his back. “You were very young the last time a rough storm hit this close.”_

_Tilting his head, Goku opened his mouth to ask another question, only to immediately clench his teeth closed. Thunder exploded louder than ever before and he tensed up, slapping his hands over his ears again. His tail danced around as if searching for something or someone to cling to. With one eye closed in response to the noise, Goku looked up at his grandfather._

“ _Was it this loud before, 'cause I'm pretty sure I'd remember if it was.”_

_Grandpa Gohan chuckled. “Oh, yes, definitely. So loud in fact that you cried and made me hold you all night.”_

_Eyes widening, Goku gaped up at him. “What? No way! Why would I be scared of a storm?”_

_An old, weathered hand reached out and patted him on the head, ruffling the mess that was his hair. “Most children are, Goku, but you've grown up nicely, haven't you?”_

_Goku grinned, not even phased by the childish treatment. “You bet!”_

~!~

The soft tweeting of early birds stirred Chi-Chi from her slumber. Rolling over, she frowned at the lack of resistance in the sheets. When she opened her eyes, she realized why, but even then another question invaded her thoughts. Where was her husband?

Goku never was one to sleep late, but this hour was a bit much even for him. Reaching over to his side of the bed, Chi-Chi's frown deepened. It wasn't warm in the least. He had to have left the bed a long time ago. But where had he gone?

Yawning, Chi-Chi sat up, stretched, and then tossed the covers off as she climbed out of bed. It didn't take long to throw a light robe over her nightgown. A quick brush of her hair, running her fingers through the long black strands as she walked, and then she was on the hunt for her missing husband.

To her surprise, it didn't take that long to find him. She'd only wanted to take a quick peek into her son's room to check on Gohan, but once she opened the door she relaxed and smiled softly at the scene before her. Goku sat in the rocking chair across the room, still and asleep, the sunlight from the incoming morning shining slightly on his face. In his arms, resting comfortably with his face against his dad's shoulder, lay their son also fast asleep.

Neither one twitched a muscle as she slid into the room with a smile. Keeping a hand on her robe, Chi-Chi slowly made her way over to them, stopping only to grab one of Gohan's blankets. Once she stood beside the chair, she leaned down to tuck them both in, so to speak. Ever so gently, she laid the blanket over them, making sure to tuck the edges around Gohan's head and then all the way across Goku's other shoulder to keep it from falling off as they slept. Before she straightened back up, Chi-Chi left two little kisses on two separate cheeks.

Gohan didn't stir at all, but at the touch Goku shifted a little and even hummed some indecipherable nonsense. Still sleeping, then. Chi-Chi smiled, ran a hand through his mess of hair, and then stood back up to make her way to the kitchen. Though her boys dreamed now, she knew that in no time at all both would be awake and begging for breakfast to start the day.

She would not disappoint.


	9. Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Goku sacrifices himself in the fight against Raditz and has a flashback as his mind fades]

 

~!~

“ _Got to hand it to my little brother...willing to die like that...”_ \- _Raditz, DBZ Manga Volume 1_

~!~

When he promised to always protect his family, he hadn't considered dying in the process. Not that he was unwilling to die for them. Death had always been an acceptable option if it meant saving those he cared about or ridding the world of evil. Most of the time, though, dying meant losing the fight so of course he hadn't thought of it as a real possibility before.

He hadn't expected to meet his “older brother” today. He hadn't expected to be told – and have it confirmed – that he was from another planet. And he definitely had not expected to encounter an enemy so far above him to where he had to rely on the help of Piccolo of all people.

His son had been kidnapped right in front of him. Kidnapped by his own “older brother” while he lay helpless to stand up, much less fight. His first failure at protecting his family. His first promise to his wife, broken.

Now, here he was, preparing to die at the hands of a former enemy for the sake of the world, for the sake of his son. Goku held onto Raditz with all his might as Piccolo readied his attack. Gritting his teeth at every twitch and desperate ploy his “older brother” made, Goku only wished for the seconds to tick by faster. His ribs were already broken; the pain from Piccolo's attack couldn't be that much worse. Either way, he'd bear it. At this point, he didn't have a choice.

There was no other option.

“So sorry to keep you waiting,” Piccolo said from his position yards away. “Prepare yourself.”

Of course Piccolo was gloating about the situation. In one move, he'd be eliminating all obstacles in his way for world domination. Oh, right, Piccolo could be a problem for his friends if he died. At the thought, Goku slammed his eyes closed and gripped tighter to his protesting Saiyan “brother.” He didn't have a choice. His friends would have to manage without him, at least until they could gather the dragon balls.

Besides, with the chance of two other Saiyans coming to Earth it was in Piccolo's best interest to keep Goku's friends alive, to let them use the dragon balls to bring Goku back to life. They could always have a rematch afterwards. He had to hope at least.

Not that it mattered. He had to save his son. He had to stop this monster now. _He didn't have a choice._

So he held on and screamed. “Do it!”

He could hear his “brother” scream something, too, but in the next few seconds none of it mattered. An energy spike ripped through his senses and shortly thereafter Piccolo's beam hit Raditz and Goku straight through the chest. He forgot how to breathe. Or maybe he _couldn't_ breathe. His senses all disappeared for a moment in time. He forgot how to do anything – no longer able to feel the rough armor of his Saiyan “brother” or smell the burning of flesh or taste the salt of sweat and the metal of blood. Even his hearing deadened, his eyesight fading.

It was actually happening, then.

Oh, that was what pain felt like.

His body hit the ground and with it came his senses. Most of them covered in the pain caused by the new hole in his chest. A stray buzz of voices crossed into his ears and he stared up into the sky as he tried to make sense of it all. Was Piccolo talking? Was Raditz? How could he manage it? Goku could barely focus on listening to them much less talk, too.

Oh, the other two Saiyans. That's what they were talking about.

Somehow he managed to speak, to interject into their conversation and ask his question. “Wh-when...are they...g-going to get...here…?”

Listening for the answer became one of the hardest things he'd ever done. He wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and drift into sleep. But he had to hold on just a little longer. He had to know so he could tell everyone once they wished him back.

Finally, the answer came from across the clearing. “In your terms...one year.”

_One year, huh?_

Goku closed his eyes. That should be plenty of time. Once his friends wished him back, he'd train every day until the Saiyans arrived. Chi-Chi would just have to -

_Chi-Chi…_

~!~

“ _Wh-what are you doin', Chi-Chi?” He exclaimed as the girl ran over and grabbed onto him, holding him in a death grip. “Quit it! Don't squeeze me like that!”_

_She whispered something as she stopped squeezing. “I was scared I was going to lose you, Goku.”_

_He blinked as Chi-Chi continued to cling to him. Now that she was no longer grabbing him so tightly, he figured he wouldn't complain too much. Though it was a little embarrassing to have her so close while his friends were watching. A part of him thought their grins and chuckles might be for his sake, though he couldn't for the life of him figure out why. Except that it had to do with Chi-Chi._

_But then, she had been worried, and she was supposed to be his bride. Whatever that really meant. Love. Bride. Living together. He still didn't understand what all the fuss was about, except that he would have to be taking her with him when he left._

_Once Kami offered him the job as god of the planet, Goku decided leaving sounded like a good idea. He could turn down Kami as much as he wanted, but if he stuck around for too long he'd probably get pushed into the job anyway. The very idea of being stuck up there without anything to do...No thanks. He'd suffered enough from the boredom just for a few years._

_Besides, he had a new life to discover. Glancing to Chi-Chi, he called for Nimbus and then bid the others goodbye as he hopped aboard, taking his bride with him. He pulled her in closer as the cloud lifted higher into the air. He already knew she could ride it; he remembered that much from their childhood._

_Once they were a good enough distance away, Goku took a breath and turned his head back to her. “So now what?”_

_Her eyes blinked at him, her arms wrapped around him still. “What do you mean 'now what?'”_

“ _Well, we're supposed to get married or something, right?” He said, setting a hand over hers since she seemed so intent on keeping her arms there. “I know I promised but I'm still not sure how it all works.”_

_She sighed, her face pressing into his back. “We're going to be living together, Goku. We'll have kids, raise a family, grow old together...”_

“ _Yeah, I know all that,” he interrupted, “I meant the wedding stuff. How does that work?”_

“ _Oh,” she said and her arms squeezed around him for a moment before relaxing. “That's easy. I'll explain it on the way.”_

“ _Huh? On the way to where?”_

“ _To my father's kingdom, silly,” she laughed and it was a sound he quickly decided he'd want to hear many times over; he liked hearing people laugh, but there was something special about hers. “He'll be excited to start the preparations.”_

_Goku blinked and then smiled. “Okay. You hear that, Nimbus?”_

_The cloud came to a sudden stop, so Goku took the opportunity to sit down, bringing Chi-Chi down with him. It was more comfortable than standing, though Chi-Chi's arms continued to stay glued to him. As if she never wanted to let go, which would be a problem if it went on for too long because he'd have to get up and do things on his own eventually. For now, though, it was fine. He didn't mind too much._

_As Nimbus took off in a new direction, Goku decided to glance back at the woman who would soon become his wife. “Why are you still grabbing me?”_

_Her answer was surprisingly quiet. “I spent most of my life waiting on you, Goku, and then I almost lost you in your fight against Piccolo. I like touching you like this. It reminds me that you're still here.”_

“ _Oh,” he frowned, suddenly feeling guilty for making her worry and wonder for so long. “Well, I'm not going anywhere so you don't have to worry anymore.”_

_Her cheek rested against his back so it was hard to see her face, but he thought he saw her smile._

~!~

“Goku! Don't give up! Hang in!”

Krillin's voice brought him back from the memory and ever so slowly he remembered where he was and what was happening. Chi-Chi wasn't here. Chi-Chi was back home. And Gohan was...where was his son? The last he'd seen of Gohan, the boy had been hit by Raditz and then...and then what...he couldn't remember...had anything else happened? Had Gohan gotten up?

“Gohan's all right.” Bulma. That was Bulma. So Krillin and Bulma and if he opened his eyes he could see Master Roshi, too. They all must have chased after him. “Just knocked out.”

“I'm...glad...” Oh, speaking was hard, too. He managed it, though. Somehow. “You won't...get yelled at by Chi-Chi...”

Something was holding his hand. With one eye open, he managed to look up to see his best friend. Krillin looked worried, clinging to his hand as if the harder he held on the harder it would be for Goku to die. Heh. Well, Goku could understand the sentiment. After all, he'd been in denial, too, even when he had found Krillin's dead body all those years ago. Now it was his turn, he guessed.

“Krillin,” he said, his voice a shaky whisper; breathing really was too difficult now. “Dying sucks...don't it…?”

His hand was going numb. He thought he could feel Krillin's grip tighten even further. Maybe. Everything was starting to fade again. Was this what his friend had felt? When he died? It was so hard to do anything, to move, to speak, even to listen.

“D-don't talk like that,” Krillin said, his voice muffled. That was weird. Why would it sound so distant? “We'll bring you back.”

“Heh,” he mumbled, feeling his eyesight fade. Everything was leaving him. This was it. At least the pain was numbed out, too. No more pain. He tried to smile. That felt nice. “Thanks.”


	10. Opportunities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Chi-Chi tries to continue on with life after Goku's death and Gohan's kidnapping]

 

~!~

“ _The poor girl really misses Gohan and Goku.” - Ox-King, DBZ Episode 15, FUNimation Dub_

~!~

Sleeping without him next to her was the hardest part.

She could handle the day-to-day activities. She could cook for herself and for her father. She could spend time washing dishes or cleaning the house five times over. She could work on sewing a new dress or anything at all, really, as long as it was for her. Any reminder that they were gone and she would have to pause whatever she was doing and breathe.

Remember to breathe and go on with life.

Thankfully, her father was always there when she needed him. Well, most of the time. He had a kingdom to run, after all. But he was over as often as he could, making sure she didn't fall into depression too heavily. He brought her soup and porridge to eat whenever she went through a spell. He talked about the kingdom and the villagers from her childhood all to help ease her mind. He never mentioned Goku or Gohan, unless she did first. And she rarely did.

Sometimes, when she was alone, she would find herself without a task to complete and the emotions would hit her all at once. She'd notice the study books she had bought for Gohan, reminded of his absence and how he was probably out there being tortured by a green skinned monster who had nearly killed her husband years ago. How could they have let Piccolo take Gohan? What was she supposed to do now? She couldn't search for them; she could only hope that Gohan would be all right. Maybe he would be able to escape the grasp of the vile demon. Maybe he would be smart enough to find his way home.

She sighed as she sat in a chair and stared at a picture of her family. Gohan looked so happy in his father's arms, dressed in an outfit with the Son family symbol, and wearing the four-star dragon ball that had once belonged to Goku's grandfather. Goku was also smiling wide, but that was normal for him, and even if it looked a little strange for him to have his hand up in a wave toward the camera, Chi-Chi still had the urge to wave back at him. She glanced up at the ceiling of her house, feeling the tears overcoming her determination to stay strong. If she waved, would he see?

With a scoff, she stood up, wiped her eyes, and set the picture down on the nearby table. What a ridiculous notion. She wasn't some teenager anymore. She couldn't just stare up at the sky and hope for her husband to know she was thinking of him.

“ _I was just wondering if you were ever going to think about me.”_

“ _I think so. Are you ever going to think about me, Chi-Chi?”_

Putting a hand to her heart, she took a breath and brushed the sentimental memories to the side. She needed to find something to do. A task to put her hands to work, to distract her mind. Goku was dead. Gohan was probably dead, too. And the dragon wouldn't be called until the end of the year. A whole year. She couldn't make it if she kept getting wrapped up in the emptiness. She had to think of other things; had to turn that grief into acceptance and move on.

Once Goku got back, he should be able to bring Gohan back to her, as well. She didn't care for all this talk of fighting, but she could trust in her husband at least. She could trust in him to do what was best. To protect their baby. To save Gohan from the danger he now faced and would face in the future.

The future. One year. Less than a year, now.

Brushing back tears once more, Chi-Chi stomped her way into the kitchen. She had to find a way to distract herself. Opening the cabinets, she pulled out ingredients seemingly at random. Cooking always helped her relax, and it was a brilliant way to keep that insane appetite of Goku's in check. She bit her lip and paused at the thought. No, cooking was a bad idea. Of course food would make her think of Goku. Everything in this house made her think of Goku.

That was it then. She had to leave the house. With a nod and new determination in her step, Chi-Chi prepared herself for the world outside. Cooking was a bad idea, but shopping might work. After all, she usually went shopping alone so there shouldn't be nearly as many memories flooding her mind. A quick walk through the woods, down the beaten path into the nearby town. It wouldn't take long and the fresh air would be good for her.

~!~

_Clinging tightly to his shirt, Chi-Chi felt her breath leave her as he jumped from the cliff. The sight alone was enough to steal her breath if it had not already been taken. Green tree tops outlined against blue skies stretching for miles in every direction. A flock of birds lifting off somewhere in the distance. An airplane hidden in the clouds – the only sign of civilization._

_As her breath returned, Chi-Chi let her eyes roam, no longer too frightened to look. Goku was the one holding her against his back, the one she clung to, so what was there to fear anyway? Even as they began to fall, her heart remained calm. No longer startled from the sudden jump. The small moment in the air was too beautiful to be afraid of touching ground. Sad, maybe, but not scared._

_When his feet did land, touching the finer shaped dirt of a human made path in the woods, Chi-Chi lowered her chin to his shoulder. She could smell the detergent she used to wash his clothes from here, mixed with his own scent that could set fire to her in ways all its own now. Goku responded by pushing his cheek against hers, causing their grins to meet. She felt him shift her legs in his hold and she replied silently by rearranging her arms to slide down his chest instead of just gripping his shoulders. Riding her husband piggy-back style felt a little strange and childish, yet close and intimate at the same time, even if the position was more for a practical purpose than anything else._

“ _Are you okay?” He asked._

_She giggled into the sweet mid-morning air. “I'm fine, Goku. I didn't expect you to make a jump like that.”_

“ _Yeah,” he said, shifting his arms, pushing her up to keep her from slipping down his back. “I probably should have warned you first, but I just got so excited.”_

_This time she laughed. “Of course you did.”_

“ _Sorry.”_

“ _I already said it's okay, Goku. I enjoyed the view.” She paused and closed her eyes, feeling his grin widen from where their cheeks pressed together. “Now let's keep going. We still have a ways to go before we get to town.”_

“ _Right,” he said with a nod. “Hold on tight.”_

_And as he took off down the dirt road, she did just that._

~!~

Chi-Chi found herself standing in the middle of the familiar dirt path, seeing a memory run away from her. She couldn't escape him; she couldn't escape the feelings. No matter where she went, he was there beside her, reminding her of all the moments they had shared together.

The funny thing about this whole depressive situation was how she _knew_ he would be back. The dragon balls. The wish. One year. He would be back.

Yet still she couldn't stand the distance. They told her how he hadn't died with the intention of staying dead for so long, but then the Guardian of the Earth had taken his body and was having him train even while dead. No doubt Goku was enjoying the opportunity for training from someone in the other world, the world of the dead. But the whole reason for the divergence was because a greater threat was on the way and they needed Goku to protect the planet.

As if _they_ needed Goku more than she did. Oh sure, she understood the need to protect the planet. She understood that Goku was the strongest in the world and with his track record he was of course expected to keep protecting them. But didn't they care about how it tore _her_ apart?

She wanted her husband back. She didn't want to wait. Not like this. Not for this long. All alone…

...because the freaks had taken her son, too!

Her beautiful, innocent son now forced to help because Goku had died and Piccolo was able to snatch him so easily…

_Gohan, sweetie, please be alive. Once your Daddy comes back and solves this threat everything can go back to normal._

It's what she wanted. More than anything, she wanted the life they had enjoyed before all of this mess. Taking Gohan to visit Goku's friends was supposed to be something joyous, something for father and son to enjoy without her getting involved. But now she was regretting the decision to let them go without her. Maybe when they returned, she'd ask Goku to let her go along anytime he wanted to visit his friends, whether or not Chi-Chi knew the group of them well enough. Whatever happened, she wanted the family back and she wanted it to stay. Four years with a perfect, happy family and now out of nowhere _this._

Wrapping her arms around herself, she clung to the fabric there and bit her lip to keep the sobs from rising to the surface again. She would _not_ cry. Not again. Not all alone like this. Things were going to be okay. Goku was coming back to life in time. Gohan would be returned to her alive and still her sweet, innocent little boy. He wouldn't have to train anymore. She would make sure of that. Once everyone came back, they could be a happy family again. Normalcy could return.

All she had to do was keep reminding herself of what the future would bring.

And wait.


	11. 33%

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Goku tries to talk to Chi-Chi in the hospital after the Saiyan fight]

 

~!~

“ _Oh no, I don't have a single thing to say to that man right now. It's his fault my baby almost got killed.” - Chi-Chi, DBZ Episode 36_

~!~

Goku tried not to wince when Chi-Chi so clearly showed her current distaste. He hadn't thought of how a year apart would bother her. Seeing Gohan on the battlefield had filled him with such pride that he'd forgotten about how Chi-Chi might react to the sight. She was so protective of their son. A doting mother. A good mother, for all Goku knew, but he could only assume _he_ had done something wrong with the way she was treating him.

All of his friends couldn't believe it, making comments about how his wife was crazy. Goku just brushed these aside. They didn't have children. They didn't understand.

From what he had been told, Chi-Chi had spent the year alone. Sure, Goku had been alone, too, spending six months of time running the treacherous Snake Way without anyone to keep him company, or any change in scenery. He'd at least had a goal, something to keep himself focused on the task at hand, to keep his thoughts from wandering. Oh, but he dreamed of her. The whole year he dreamed of her. She wouldn't know that, of course, and he didn't see any reason to tell her. As much as he'd enjoyed the training, a part of him had been longing to return home to at least see her again.

Only now here he was and she didn't want to have anything to do with him. And he could understand, once she showed how obsessively worried she was over Gohan. Her baby – _their_ baby – had grown over the one year, grown into a fighter, participated in a battle to save the world, and then been injured for his efforts.

And what had Goku done to stop it?

Not enough, apparently. Before facing off against Vegeta, he had told Gohan and Krillin to leave. He'd wanted them somewhere safe. As much as he felt thrilled to see how much Gohan had grown and changed…

Ah, changed. That was another thing that bothered Chi-Chi. He could see it clearly as he watched her now. While he was trapped in this strange contraption in the hospital room, Chi-Chi sat on the bed next to their sleeping child. She spent all of her waking time fussing over Gohan and had yet to say much of anything to Goku. He knew mothers had a special bond with their children – she had told him so, after all – but he hadn't expected such a big difference. Which meant she really did blame him for what had happened.

“Chi-Chi,” he whispered into the quiet of the hospital, having to try again and raise his voice when she didn't respond. “Chi-Chi.”

The glare he got sent to him through the darkness almost made him regret his decision to speak up. Almost. “Hush, Goku. Can't you see that Gohan needs his rest?”

Goku let out his breath in a puff of air. She was still obsessively worrying over their son, even now. Although he wanted to comment on how he was pretty sure Gohan would be fine, he didn't want to break the chance of getting his wife to talk to him. He'd learned how to handle her moods over the years and he knew when to back off most of the time. Except he'd never seen her _this_ mad before.

“Chi-Chi,” his voice came out as a whine unintentionally. “Talk to me. Please.”

“Why should I?” She seethed back, her voice quiet and low but still full of fire. “You let our baby get hurt. Even after you came back, he still got hurt. And now he's different, too, but you probably enjoy how he wants to be a fighter now so I don't expect you to understand.”

This time he winced for sure. He was right. It was because of the change in their son. At first, he hadn't understood why she would ban Gohan from learning martial arts. After all, it was something both Goku _and_ Chi-Chi had grown up learning. But then…

He closed his eyes and twitched his bandaged fingers underneath the strange contraption the doctors had trapped him in temporarily. Seeing Gohan's strength and growth had given him a sense of pride. Pride for what his son was capable of. Pride to see Gohan sharing something with him after all. But…

When Gohan and Krillin had returned to the battlefield against his wishes, when Gohan had stood up and fought the Saiyan Vegeta, Goku had discovered an entirely new feeling, too. Well, no it wasn't new. It was reminiscent of the moment Gohan had been kidnapped, when Goku had fought Raditz to get his son back, when he'd felt so _helpless_ to step in and…

Fear. Fear for his son's life. Watching Gohan fight had filled him with pride, but he'd also experienced the helpless feeling of being unable to step in should anything go wrong. And he knew Gohan hadn't been strong enough to take on Vegeta so of course…

No wonder Chi-Chi was angry. A whole year without her son – without him – and they'd both come back to her broken. Because of a fight. A fight to save the world, but a fight nonetheless.

“Chi-Chi,” he whispered again, opening his eyes and turning what he could of his head to stare at her in the darkness.

Her hand was busy stroking the hair of their sleeping son. “What?”

He tried to meet her eyes. He wanted to hold her and kiss her but he couldn't move and she wouldn't come any closer. So the best he could do was to catch her glare and meet it head on. If she ever looked up.

“I'm sorry,” he said, seeing her head jerk up and her eyes widen as they finally found each other. “I won't let it happen again.”

“Goku?” Finally, she said his name and it sounded wonderful after so long. “Won't let _what_ happen -”

“Our son being kidnapped. I'll do everything possible to keep you from suffering through something like that ever again.” For some reason, her eyes began to fill with tears and as much as he wanted to stand up and brush them away, he knew he couldn't so he kept talking. “I don't want you to ever be alone for that long, either. I'm sorry.”

The silence echoed between them. He had said what he wanted to say, and now all he could do was wait for her response. Wait however long he needed to, which seemed to be forever. He should have given her more attention earlier, but he'd been distracted by his friends. Distracted at the ideas floating around to bring the others back to life. Maybe he should turn to Chi-Chi first, but his mind didn't want to work that way. As much as he loved her, putting her first when he had friends that were dead…

Well, he should try better, he supposed. Five years – six now? – as her husband and he still didn't know everything that he was supposed to do. He just did what he could and hoped she would understand.

Except now she wasn't understanding. She was upset. She was crying silently at the edge of Gohan's bed and he couldn't get up to fix it. He couldn't hold her. How many times had she cried this past year? Cried where he couldn't see, couldn't know, couldn't be there for her?

All of his friends said Chi-Chi was being unreasonable. All of his friends scoffed and called her names behind her back. All of his friends seemed to think he was crazy for putting up with her.

But they didn't know her like he did. Whether or not he could control it, he felt responsible for leaving her alone, for leaving her without warning, for failing to bring Gohan back to her sooner. He could handle a year separated; of course he could; he was used to roaming around and focusing on training. But clearly, she couldn't, and she shouldn't be expected to handle such a long separation, either.

As he watched, she covered her mouth to muffle the hiccups of her sobs. She was trying so hard not to cry. Always trying to be strong. Her bursts of anger must have been a coping method for her; her obsession with Gohan's safety must have been her trying to make up for the lost time by showering their son with more attention than he needed or wanted now. She was hurting so much inside and trying to hide it from everyone, from _him_.

Goku frowned as he tried to move and barely managed to lift his hand. He didn't like seeing her cry. He wanted to see her smile and laugh again. Or at least hold her while she cried so she didn't have to do it alone, but…

“Chi -”

“Don't,” she rasped, clearing her throat, looking up at him, eyes rimmed in red. “Don't.”

Goku blinked and then frowned deeper, staring at her. Don't what? Don't talk? Don't help? Don't do anything? He kept his mouth shut, but he watched her steadily as she stood up. His eyes followed her the whole way as she walked out of the room and left without an explanation.

Fine.

He would do the only thing he could do at this point. He would wait and see what came next. As much as he wanted to mend the rift between them, he couldn't force it. Not in this condition. Being unable to touch her or chase her down, he didn't even have a choice. All he could do…

...was wait.

~!~

Chi-Chi pressed her back to the door as soon as it closed behind her. She took a breath and stared at the floor. Lifting a hand to her cheek, she touched the water dripping down there and tried to scoff at the idea of so many tears.

How was he able to do this to her? All he had to do was talk to her and her heart caved in, all the pent up emotions coming free whether she wanted them to or not. She'd been working so hard to ignore him because it helped her keep in control. Without him, she could appear calm and focused, something she was determined to show Gohan; she didn't want her son to see her break down. She could only imagine what that image would do to her poor, innocent little boy.

Her little boy who had gone and grown up without her. Gohan had changed so much in one year and she wasn't sure what to do about it. She wanted her cute, innocent, dutiful little boy back. The one who grew excited about studying, about learning. Where had that Gohan gone? When did her precious child grow so close to her husband's friends? Why was he so focused on bringing that evil Piccolo back to life?

Her precious baby had been corrupted, and what had Goku done? Looked proud and talked about how great Gohan was on the battlefield. As if Gohan wasn't a little child – _their_ little child – forced into this way of life against his mother's wishes. Of course Goku would love seeing their son fight. It's what he'd always wanted from the beginning after all. So Chi-Chi had decided to show her displeasure by ignoring him, blaming him for all that had happened to her sweet little boy, and she managed to stay mad successfully, too.

That is, until Goku apologized.

A sob bubbled its way up into her throat and she threw a hand over her mouth once again to muffle the sound. Even if there was no one around to hear her, she didn't want to have another break down. Not now. Not over something so…

At the thought, she lost it again, swallowing back the tears, feeling them fall free anyway after closing her eyes. Her legs shook and she gave in to the urge to slide down the door and curl up like a silly teenager. Keeping her back to the door, she pressed her hands to her eyes and tried to shove the tears back. Even if the hospital's night shift staff was down the hallway focused on other things, she didn't want to be heard. If she was going to cry now, she wanted to keep it as quiet and soft as possible. She'd kept everything to herself for a whole year – what was wrong with doing the same now?

She laughed bitterly amid the rush of warm tears. What was wrong with her? Goku was in the other room. Her _husband_ was _alive_ and _wanting_ to comfort her. Why was she still insistent on pushing him away? Stubborness?

He _had_ apologized, after all. Whether or not he had much choice, he'd apologized for what happened. Deep down, Chi-Chi knew she couldn't blame him. Deep down, she knew this hate game was hurting her more than him, but how could she just crawl back and forgive after what Gohan…

Because Goku wasn't to blame. Not really. He'd sacrificed himself in the first place to save their son. He hadn't decided to stay dead for so long – the Earth's god had made that call. And of course it had been the evil Piccolo – not Goku – who had trained Gohan, molded him into a fighter.

And yet Goku still apologized.

Apologized and then promised…

Clearing her throat, Chi-Chi pulled herself to her feet, brushing the wrinkles from her clothes before wiping the tears gently from her eyes. Her break down was under control. She could return to the room and face him now. Face him, but could she forgive him?

She closed her eyes as she turned and opened the door. Forgive him for something he didn't do intentionally? Goku had always followed her wishes. He'd always wanted to keep her happy, listening to her silly rants, taking her anger head on until she calmed down.

As she walked over to where he lay sleeping, she felt a smile twitch at the corner of her mouth. He was alive. He was right here. She'd been longing for him all year and now that he was back, she hadn't touched him once. Everything but his face had been wrapped up like a mummy. Even his hair had been pinned down, hidden underneath the layers of bandages.

“Goku,” she whispered into the darkness, reaching out to lightly brush his cheek. “Sweetheart.”

His eyes opened, blinking once, and then lifting to her face. “Chi-”

She tapped her finger against his lips, successfully silencing him. “You promise?”

Eyebrows twitched and when his mouth opened she let her finger linger on his bottom lip. “Promise what?”

“What you said earlier.”

“Oh!” His brightening voice sent warm, tingling shivers down her body; she really had missed him. “Yeah. I won't let it happen again.”

As she breathed and nodded, she pulled her hand back. His frown should have been warning enough, but when his hand shot out suddenly and snatched hers she couldn't stop the gasp. “Goku-”

“I won't let you be alone again,” he said, his face straight and serious, eyes boring into hers as if begging her to understand. “I promise, Chi.”

The words were simple. Nice. Full of heart and meaning exactly what he said but somehow still meaning more. Asking if she trusted him. Asking if she could still believe in him. Not knowing how else to respond, Chi-Chi bit her lip and nodded.

His relieved smile lit up the entire room.

 


	12. Dead Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Goku tells Chi-Chi about his Saiyan roots]

 

~!~

 

“ _On top of that, he's a Saiyan, so the thirst for battle is in his blood.” - Master Roshi, DBZ, Episode 46_

 

~!~

Goku shifted awkwardly under the blankets in his hospital bed. Although it was nice to finally be in a bed instead of that weird contraption, he still couldn't get comfortable because of how difficult it was to pull the blankets over the sling and bandages wrapping his arms. Most of the bandages had been removed, but there were still enough holding him down from moving freely. He grumbled and complained but Chi-Chi just sat next to his bed and told him how the doctors knew what they were doing and he would never get better if he kept trying to rush it. He just didn't like this situation at all.

His best friends and son had left almost a month ago. Going into space, to Namek, to find the dragon balls. Gohan and Krillin joining Bulma in a dragon ball adventure. Without him. Not to mention the thoughts of Vegeta plaguing his mind. He needed to go out and train so he could be ready for Vegeta when the Saiyan came back. Yet here he was stuck in bed in a hospital getting weaker by the minute because he couldn't train.

With a glance to the side, Goku found himself smiling despite everything else. There was one bright lining to all of this sitting around. Chi-Chi had barely left his side since Gohan's departure. She always seemed busy with one thing or another – like the little sweater she was making now – but her anger had simmered down considerably.

She was humming to herself now, and so he watched her without a word. Most of the time, she seemed so nervous or worried, like a thin blade of grass desperately trying not to crack under the pressure. It had come as quite a shock to her – and him as well – when Gohan jumped at the chance to travel to Namek. Now their son was out in space somewhere far away, and Chi-Chi was doing all she could to keep control. He could admire that, especially when he caught her being truly relaxed.

Like now.

So he bit back his whining complaints about being stuck in bed and focused on her instead. The sunlight from the window hit her back and spread all around her, creating a soft glow that had him smiling. She seemed so serene now. So calm and relaxed and content, even as her fingers worked quickly with the needles in her hand. He watched her quietly for a while, losing himself in all the little movements she made. When she was this close, he could even smell her over the hospital medicinal odors. Her sweet scent reminded him of nature and home, and he didn't want her to ever move away for as long as he had to stay here.

“What are you smiling about, Goku?”

“Hm?” He blinked then grinned as he brought a hand to his head. “Oh, nothing.”

“Nothing, huh?” She playfully inquired, making his grin widen in response. “You better hope it's nothing. If you're thinking of going off and training somehow you can forget it. Your body needs rest. You may not be a normal patient, but you're still human like the rest of us.”

He winced and accidentally bit the inside of his cheek, muttering a quick, “Ow.”

“What?” Her raised eyebrow was enough to tell him his reaction had been noticed. “Did you actually hurt yourself messing around earlier? You know, that's precisely why they tell you not to -”

“Chi-Chi,” he said, getting her to quiet down by using a deeper tone of voice when he said her name. “It's not that.”

_I'm not human._

How was he supposed to say that to her? She had no idea. No one had told her. Of course no one told her. His friends didn't spend time with her. They must have told her how he was dead and Gohan was taken by Piccolo, but they glossed over the fact that he wasn't from Earth. Probably wanted to leave such a serious topic for him.

_I'm a Saiyan._

How did he tell her, though? Finding the right words was...hard. Which was weird for him. He usually just said whatever came to mind, but now _nothing_ came to mind. So he was at a loss.

Maybe it was because he was still trying to wrap his head around the idea himself. A Saiyan. Like his “brother” Raditz. Like Vegeta, who had been responsible for so much death. The Saiyans were an evil race, purging whole planets of people, and he was one of them. Sent to Earth to do the same thing. Only an accident as a child had kept him from actually going through with it.

He frowned as he looked up at his wife's confused stare. She was waiting for an explanation, but he couldn't think of the words to give her one. He hadn't even said anything yet and already he was fretting about what her reaction might be. After all, he had denied it at first, until the evidence made it impossible to fight. Chi-Chi didn't like the idea of anything messing up her picture perfect family. Whatever reaction she had, it wasn't going to be good.

A part of him wanted to keep her in the dark forever. What was the point of telling her? He didn't go around spreading the information to everyone else. Krillin would know. And Bulma and Master Roshi. They'd all been on the island when the news came out, but the others… Well, they'd probably learn eventually whether he shared it or not. Which meant if he didn't tell Chi-Chi, someone else would. And if she found out he'd been hiding it, she could _really_ have a reason to be angry.

“Goku?” She had a hand on his head, now standing beside the bed with her sewing project off to the side. “What is it, sweetheart? You look pale. Should I call the doctor?”

His mouth twitched at the corners, a small smile breaking free; with Gohan gone, she'd finally turned some of that fretting on him and it felt nice to be reminded about how she cared. “No, I'm fine.”

“Then, what -?”

He lowered his eyebrows and dropped the smile. “I need to tell you something.”

Her eyes lifted curiously. “I'm listening.”

Closing his eyes, Goku took a fraction of a second to gather his thoughts. He couldn't waste time worrying about the best way to tell her anymore. If it bothered him to be told the truth, no doubt she would take it hard, too. He'd already established this much, though.

Best to sit up, then. As he opened his eyes, he grabbed her wrist and held her gently even as he pulled his body up. Laying in this bed was uncomfortable anyway. Besides, something about sitting up and facing her head on just felt better than trying to explain everything while laying down.

“Goku, what's this about?”

Her eyes were trained on him, no doubt watching every little movement. He groaned. He was worrying her just by taking this long to explain. Maybe he should try again later? No, that wouldn't help anything.

“Chi-Chi, you know what the invaders were called, right?”

She blinked, but answered quickly. “I'm not deaf, Goku. You and your friends were talking about them almost nonstop. What does this have to do with the Saiyans, though? Did Vegeta do something to Gohan? Do you think he's out there right now and needs our help? Oh...”

Reaching around to grab both of her hands in his, he held her still and tried to focus her thoughts. “No, it's not that, Chi-Chi. Just listen, okay?”

Her eyes narrowed and she growled. “I'm listening, if you'll talk.”

He winced at her tone, but she had a point. Time to get it over with. “I'm a Saiyan, too.”

“What?”

“That guy who came here originally – the one who interrupted the reunion with my friends. The first Saiyan here who was responsible for my death.” Saying it out loud like that was kind of strange, and he paused at the sound of those words before plowing on. “He was my brother, apparently; he said he came looking for me because I was sent here as a baby.”

“That's ridiculous!” Chi-Chi snapped, pulling a hand free to press it against his forehead. “Are you sure you're feeling all right?”

Goku closed his eyes and groaned. “Chi-Chi, trust me. I'm fine. And this is all true. Master Roshi told me enough. I didn't want to believe it, either, but he said my grandpa actually found me in a space pod... and I hit my head so I couldn't remember anything and I never purged the planet like Saiyans normally do. That's why I'm different from them, but you still need to know.”

“You – you mean it -” Now came the reaction he was expecting. She seemed to grow cold even through the little piece of her that he held, and she stood still as a statue, stunned. “Your tail, then. That's because you were-”

“A Saiyan, yeah.”

“And Gohan...”

He grimaced at the mention of their son. His son was part Saiyan, too. She wasn't going to like –

Almost as soon as his thoughts filled in the blanks, Chi-Chi's eyes rolled back into her head and she fell limply into his arms. Goku clenched his teeth as he caught her, his muscles and weak body protesting the added weight, but he held her close and ignored all else. He hadn't expected _this_ strong of a reaction from her, but now that it had happened, he wasn't too surprised.

~!~

Chi-Chi groaned as she opened her eyes to the dim lighting of the hospital. Her first thought was how someone must have pulled the curtains out to hide the sun, unlike earlier. She preferred the light from the outside; it reminded her of home and her bedroom window and how she had always kept the curtains open in the hope of one day seeing Goku returned to her. A silly notion. A silly habit. But that's what a year of waiting had done to her.

“Hey, you're awake.”

She blinked at the voice, glancing around to find her husband sitting on the edge of the hospital bed. He smiled at her and it was warm, though there was something indistinguishable in his eyes. As her memory returned, she frowned. He should be the one laying in bed, not her. What was she doing here? And why was there a cool wet rag on her head?

“Goku,” she murmured, sitting up and setting the wet cloth to the side. “What happened?”

His hand reached for her, an arm encircling her awkwardly because of the mass of bandages still covering his body. “Just take it easy for a second. You'll remember in a moment.”

She felt her brow furrow as she tried to understand. “Remember what?”

His smile this time was more patient than it was happy. It didn't reach to his eyes and it didn't carry the same weight as usual, either. Something was bothering him, then. Something to do with whatever she'd temporarily forgotten. Chi-Chi frowned. She wasn't accustomed to seeing such a painfully lost look in her husband's eyes.

Of all the things, his hair was what jogged her memory. The free black spikes, defying gravity with its style that no one else had ever – or could ever – replicate. Goku's hair was completely his own. Just like his tail had been before he had it removed. The tail that had been passed down to their son, just like the -

She felt the world tip as the thoughts crashed into her for the second time. She felt Goku's hand gently squeezing her arm near her shoulder, keeping her upright. He didn't say a word, though, and when she found his eyes she understood why. He was waiting for her, waiting for the judgment or the accusations, waiting for her to lose it in front of him.

As if fainting over it hadn't been enough. Though after everything else that had happened, could she really blame him for expecting hate from her?

So, he was an alien. He was actually from another world, left here with a job to slaughter them all. Sent here as a baby. No wonder he didn't have any parents. No wonder he had been raised in the woods by some crazy old man.

Suddenly, all his strange mannerisms and addiction to battle made a lot more sense. He was one of those Saiyans, the same race as those evil men he had so recently fought in order to defend the planet. And that meant so was Gohan. The precious little tail wasn't just some special trait from Goku – it was the mark of an evil battle-hungry race. Her stomach did flips just at the implications.

Goku's voice came to her through the haze. “Chi-”

Maybe it was the tone of his voice. Maybe it was the look in his eyes. Maybe it was the ever-so-slight tremble in his hand. Whatever the cause, Chi-Chi took a breath and grabbed at the blue hospital garb he was currently wearing. She snatched the fabric near his collar and tugged him down before he could finish saying her name.

Their mouths met and she held him still as she breathed him in. Never mind that this was their first kiss in over a year. Never mind that it was a little weak because he'd been caught off guard. Never mind that it was in a less-private place where someone could interrupt them at any moment.

When her tongue found his, she forgot all the other small things. Her husband was here. Alive. With her. Confiding in her. Saiyan or not, it didn't matter. He hadn't changed. Just because someone told him his true heritage, it didn't mean he would suddenly turn into a bloodthirsty monster. And neither would Gohan. If anything, knowing his background and being able to explain his thirst for battle and training, she could understand him even better than before. There was nothing to be mad about, nothing to hate. Goku was still Goku.

She broke from the kiss and looked up into his eyes, setting a hand on his chest to feel his quickened breath. He set a hand over hers and smiled as he slowly processed what her actions meant. “Chi-Chi -”

Without waiting for him to finish, she leaned up to give him a simple peck on the lips this time, and then another on his cheek before pulling away and tossing her legs over the side of the bed. As she stood up, he dropped her hand, and she turned back to him with her hands on her hips, trying not to smirk too wide when she met his confused gaze.

“Don't think this lets you off the hook, Goku.”

He blinked up at her. “Huh?”

Pointing to the head of the bed, she forced her eyes to narrow, knowing he would probably see the shine in them anyway. “You're supposed to be resting, mister.”

“Oh,” he said, his eyes following her gesture before looking back to her with a grin of his own. “Yeah. Okay.”


	13. Running Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Goku leaves for Namek]

 

~!~

“ _Do me a favor and tell Chi-Chi not to worry about me. Tell her I'm just going to make sure Gohan and the others are all right. Tell her I'll be back as soon as I can.” - Goku, DBZ, Episode 46_

~!~

Six days.

Six days to reach Namek.

He wished he could have thanked Dr. Brief more for the speedy progress at building such a spaceship. Ever since he'd gotten the information about the situation on Namek, Goku had been dying to rush after his friends, feeling that prickly itch in his stomach at the thought of his son having to face not only Vegeta but someone stronger, too…

Six days until he could help Gohan – and Krillin and Bulma, too.

As he pulled up for his five-thousandth sit-up at 20-times gravity, Goku felt his thoughts lose focus. The training regiment was becoming routine. If he hadn't been counting out loud, he probably would have lost his place long ago. He couldn't stop thinking of his battle against Vegeta which had left him in such poor condition. And now Gohan was out there having to face that monster with just Krillin to back him up. As much as Goku trusted his best friend to protect Gohan at all costs, he really didn't want it to come to that, especially since he was on his way now.

_Guys, just hold it together until I can get there._

Six days alone in a spaceship, traveling the vast frontiers of space without anyone to keep him company.

Oh, sure, he'd grown pretty used to being alone. He'd dealt with six _months_ traveling down Snake Way with no one to talk to and nothing to eat besides clouds and his own imagination. His stomach growled and groaned mid sit-up and Goku had to force the empty feeling to the side for now. He had told himself no breaks until he reached his goal of ten-thousand sit-ups. Then, he would search out the kitchen on the ship and probably be left longing for Chi-Chi's cooking anyway. Even with being back on Earth after being dead for a year, he still hadn't been treated to her cooking. He'd been stuck in a hospital with gross hospital food – and then he'd jumped into space at the first opportunity to chase after his son.

If he didn't have so many other thoughts weighing him down, he might have thought of Chi-Chi more. He felt like she would be okay this time, since he'd left with the intent of bringing their son back safe. This time, he'd come back to her with Gohan safe and sound and everything would be as it was before the first Saiyan arrival. He wanted to give that special life back to her. After all, he enjoyed those family moments, too. He'd told her that once before when she'd asked.

So now all he had to do was go to Namek, stop Vegeta and this other power, and return home in no time with Gohan. Chi-Chi could be happy again. He liked seeing her happy; he liked her genuine smile and playful tone. He'd been lucky enough to get that from her before leaving, too. Now, as he trained, he could imagine her chiding him gently in the hospital and it made him smile even as he worked.

He did hate to leave her so suddenly and so soon after returning home. But this time he made sure to have someone there to keep an eye on her. This time, his friends would keep her company while she waited. She wouldn't ever have to be alone again and he would always be back as soon as possible.

_I promise, Chi-Chi. This won't take near as long. Six days there, a little time to set things right, and six days back._

Goku frowned as he felt the gravity tug him down. He pulled up for another sit-up and felt the sweat drip down his face. _Five-thousand-thirty._ Even his hair was growing wet and feeling heavy from all the force. He had to be ready to take on Vegeta and whoever else when he arrived. He had to be prepared for the strongest guys in the universe, so he would continue to push on and push hard. After all, he only had a few days worth of time before he got to Namek and he wanted to be strong enough to make quick work of the evil forces there.

Gohan would expect nothing less.

Chi-Chi would be waiting at home for them both to return safely.

So, Goku focused his thoughts and kept up the mantra in his mind to remind himself of the little time he had left to train and to make sure he was beyond prepared for whatever he might face on Namek. He would not be caught off guard. Every second was important and necessary to better his chances – and to better himself. With a grunt, he pulled up again, feeling the tingle in his shoulders as they began to protest the extra gravity.

_Five-thousand-thirty-two._

_Five-thousand-thirty-three._

_Five-thousand-thirty-four._

_Five-thousand-thirty-five._

_Five-thousand-thirty-six…_

He paused at the number and narrowed his eyes, setting his face in determination before continuing on, even with the stray thought and reminder of the days he had left.

_...six days._

~!~

Chi-Chi breathed in the air around her as she walked out of the grand Capsule Corporation building. A laundry basket rested at her hip as she moved with purpose. Laundry at the hospital. Laundry at home. Laundry at the Brief's dwelling.

She closed her eyes and tried to smile as she reached the clothesline. She didn't mind. Mrs. Brief had mentioned how it wasn't really necessary for her to get her hands dirty, seeing as Capsule Corporation had plenty of bots programmed to handle the small tasks. But Chi-Chi quickly found that doing such menial labor helped her keep her thoughts from wandering too much. Much better than sitting still all day without anything to do but worry.

So, she set the basket down on the pristine and perfect fake grass and began to pin up the wet clothes on the clothesline. Not every plant or blade of grass in Capsule Corp was of the manufactured variety, but it was way more than Chi-Chi would have liked. Thankfully, she had a nice country home to return to whenever her boys came back to her.

They'd assured her that the wait wouldn't be too long this time. Roshi had told her what was going on and how Goku had mentioned her before he left. She sighed as she reached for another article of clothing. Of course he would jump at the first chance to race after Gohan and his friends; he'd been so restless stuck in a hospital bed for so long. Well, now he could go save the day and bring her boy back to her. After all the fuss she raised, Goku had to have been heavily motivated to keep Gohan safe now and if there was a threat…

Well, she felt much better this time. Goku wasn't dead. Gohan would soon be safe in her arms again – with their friends back to life, too – and everything could go back to the way it was before. Maybe having the invitation to wait out the days in Capsule Corporation helped her stay calm. Or maybe it was the knowledge that Dr. Brief was working on another spaceship so _she_ could chase after both her boys.

Whatever the cause, Chi-Chi found it possible to hum as she worked. One item of clothing at a time, hanging them up and spreading them out to let them dry. Out here in the city, clotheslines were a rare and odd sight. Cityfolk just had special machines to do all the work for them, possibly because of the lack of space. If Capsule Corporation hadn't been as large as it was, Chi-Chi might have felt a bit claustrophobic trapped in the city. The hospital was bad enough, but things had been different there. She'd had people to physically touch and cling to in her worry.

Here all she had was routine.

So, she did one of the many simple tasks she had repeated time and time again during the one year. And she thought of her son and her husband. Without the tears this time, thankfully. Oh, she still lost her mind in daydreams of worry, but knowing that Goku would take less than a week to reach Namek helped ease her fears. She had faith in him. He may have left without saying goodbye, but he'd left her a comforting message to hold on to – that he was going to get Gohan and be back as soon as possible.

_Hurry back, Goku, and please be safe._

“Oh, Chi-Chi, darling.” She turned her head at the sound of Mrs. Brief. “Isn't it a little early for laundry, dear?”

Giving the blond haired woman a half-smile, Chi-Chi returned to her work, only having one more piece of clothing to hang up. “By my standards, it's a little late to start drying them, but this will do.”

“Oh, I see you're almost done.”

She would never understand how this woman could keep her voice so bright no matter what the situation. Didn't she have a daughter out in space, too? Wasn't she worried for Bulma? Then again, Bulma had been traveling around the world with Goku when she was still a teenager. Her parents didn't have much care or control over her, apparently, and look what good it did her. Exactly the reason Chi-Chi was so worried for her little boy being on that strange planet. What would this crazy space adventure do to _him_?

A hand waved in her vision and Chi-Chi blinked at Mrs. Brief's interruption. “Why don't you come inside and sit down and have a drink with me, dear? I have a nice pot of cappuccino all ready and hot for us. You know my husband does love his cappuccino.”

Though it was a little hard to keep up with Mrs. Brief's train of thought all the time, Chi-Chi had to admit she was grateful for the company. So she set her hands down in front of her and gave a little bow in acknowledged thanks. The blond haired woman smiled cheerfully and Chi-Chi smiled back without a problem.

“Yes, I think I can handle a little break.”

As if reading her mind, Mrs. Brief waved a hand. “Don't you worry, dear. Those boys will be back before you know it.”

_I sure hope so,_ she thought as she followed Mrs. Brief inside and tried to shake the slowly growing pit in her stomach.


	14. Judgment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Goku fights Frieza]

****~!~

“ _The future of Gohan, of Chi-Chi, not to mention the future of the entire universe – it all depends on me!” - Goku, DBZ, Funimation Dub, Episode 91_

~!~

Fighting Frieza was quickly becoming one of the hardest challenges he'd ever faced. At first, Goku had been confident in his abilities to take this guy out. He had all the reasons in the world to defeat Frieza as fast as possible, but he wanted to test the waters first. He didn't want to push himself to his limits if he didn't have to – after all, using the Kaio-ken too often and multiplying its effects too much could be detrimental to his body. He'd learned that much while fighting Vegeta back on Earth.

Of course, Goku had to admit he was enjoying this fight. The challenge Frieza presented as the evil tyrant met and returned every single one of Goku's attacks… Knowing that Frieza was still holding back, much like he was… The very knowledge got his blood pumping. Inside he felt like dancing and giggling about it – like he used to when he was younger – but showing such a display to Frieza would have been a bad call. So he merely showed his excitement with a smirk and a cocky comment or two in response to Frieza's own bravado.

But then things got more intense than he was bargaining for. A sick feeling of unease hit his gut when the monster claimed he hadn't even been using one-percent of his power.

_Not possible. He has to be bluffing._

He realized how wrong he was to believe in such a hope when he joined the fight once more. All of his attacks were dodged or brushed aside easily. The monster seemed to have picked up speed, even though Goku was pulling everything out of his reserves now. Everything was blocked or dodged and then returned with more force than he thought possible. He barely managed to stay on his feet half the time during the exchanges.

He quickly discovered how much he hated that tail, too. Using it against Frieza was amazing, catching the tyrant off guard twice and swinging him around in victory. If only he could manage more. He wasn't prepared to have his feet knocked out from under him and then find that tail wrapped around his neck while he was still trying to keep from falling over. He'd managed to keep the thing from popping his head off earlier, but being caught mid movement made his heart race as he felt the tail squeeze around his neck, making it so hard to breathe.

And just as he found a way back to his feet, Frieza slammed him in the gut. Unsuspecting. Because of how damn fast the guy was now. Thankfully, the evil warlord removed the tail and danced away, but Goku was left gasping for breath and falling to his knees at the pain.

After another moment of gloating on Frieza's part, they continued. Goku trying to land a hit – anything – on his devilish opponent, and Frieza constantly dodging and responding with twice as much force and speed than he could even follow at this point. He kept the Kaio-ken running. Kept activating it and trying harder. But nothing seemed to work. Every move, every angle he could get, and Frieza was ahead of him, behind him, knocking him back, kicking him back to the ground.

Eventually, he found himself laying on his back, his body screaming in protest. All the hard work on his trip here wasn't paying off. He should have taken King Kai's advice and avoided Frieza. They should have worked harder to get out of here safely. Now what would happen to Gohan? And the others?

_Gohan…_

The thought of his son, sensing Gohan's ki nearby, and Goku struggled to his feet once again. He couldn't give up here. He couldn't quit now. There had to be a way. Just because he hadn't found a weakness yet, just because Frieza currently had him down, didn't mean it was hopeless. If he kept pushing on, he was sure an idea would come to him. There had to be something he could exploit. Something, somewhere. Somehow.

He got up and continued on. Giving up wasn't an option, even with every blow he took from Frieza leaving him feeling more and more inadequate. Each blink away. Each punch. Each kick. Each missed attack. He kept trying and trying and _trying_ but nothing connected. Nothing worked. Nothing came through for him.

Instead he was tossed around. Toyed with. Knocked from the ground to the sky and punted back down again. Thrown to the side and then caught with a tail grab around his neck. Only to be tossed somewhere else. On and on and on the torture went, but he didn't give up. He didn't quit. He kept pushing, kept aiming for Frieza, kept trying to knock the tyrant off guard.

But nothing worked. And his body was on fire. Screaming at him to stop the abuse.

After being knocked into the ground _again_ , Goku stared at the feet of the demon before him. His eyes didn't want to open completely anymore. As if it wasn't worth the effort of lifting his eyelids. But he managed somehow. Blinking and feeling his eyes twitch as he tried to keep awake through the pain. Quitting wasn't an option. He had to keep going. He just _had no choice_.

So he struggled to his feet, nearly fell over again, somehow managed to stay there. The world shook as he tried to focus and he slowly moved into a stance, only to be interrupted by Frieza once again. That damn tail choked around his neck and a strong force shoved him up into the sky. Some words from his opponent about “prepping him for death” and then he was sailing through clouds. Goku felt the air rush past him, felt gravity start to pull him back down, and then water surrounded him as he crashed into the Namekian ocean.

Blinking blearily, he almost took a breath before realizing he was underwater. In a panic, he rushed for the surface, feeling his lungs screaming for air. How long had he spent down here? He needed air, he needed to – popping his head up for half a second and he was forced back under by an energy blast headed straight for him. Moving to another area, he tried again, only to be cut off once more. He stayed under for a moment longer, trying to think of a way to get above the water for a much needed breath. Frieza's energy blasts kept coming, covering the surface of the water, leaving him little option. Shaking his head, Goku found another place free from the attacks, and he poked his head out, tried to take in a gasp of breath at the very least, only to have a clawed foot grab hold of his head and shove him back under the water.

Shove him down and hold him there.

He struggled against the grip but his strength was failing him. He couldn't breathe. His arms lifted above the water, trying to find the leg, trying to find a way to pry the foot off of his head, but they seemed aimless. His lungs were burning. He needed air. He needed air _now_. Everything was beginning to fade. If he couldn't break free from this...the world...the universe would…Gohan would...and Chi-Chi...

~!~

_Springtime in the country. Green grass for miles. A large lake with light reflecting from the clear blue. Trees full of apples. Tasty apples. His tail danced as he sat in one such tree and chewed into the wonderful tart treat. Juice dribbled down his chin and he rubbed it clean with his free hand._

_At the sound of another person, he stuffed a bunch of apples into his shirt and watched from the trees as he continued to chew the last of his food. A girl hummed nearby, picking flowers in the sun. It took a moment to figure out why she looked familiar, but once he recognized her for sure he jumped from the tree and announced his presence._

“ _Hey, Chi-Chi!”_

_Big eyes stared at him from across the field, and there was something different about the way she looked when she was holding all those flowers. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but when she smiled wide and her eyes lit up he knew whatever the look meant – he liked it. She seemed happy. That was enough for him._

_Going over closer to say hi, he was reminded about how confusing girls were to him. Her face went red, she dropped the flowers, and she giggled as if he had said something funny. He didn't remember saying anything funny. But whatever. Girls were weird._

_Still grinning, he reached into his shirt and pulled out an apple, offering it to her. His tail danced behind him as he watched her eyes. She seemed confused at this, staring at the simple gift of food like it was the first time she'd ever seen an apple. But then she smiled and held it in both of her hands before lightly taking a small bite. Yeah, he decided, girls were weird. Then again, everyone said his eating habits made him the weird one, but he couldn't see why someone would want to take such small bites. For his part, he pulled another apple from his shirt and chomped into it with a real amount of food to chew on._

_Chi-Chi just chewed the little she'd taken in and watched him. He didn't know what else to do, so he just grinned as he continued to eat, telling her how they were pretty good apples. His tail bounced around behind him, clearly happy about the situation. For some reason, he had to agree. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something different about Chi-Chi._

_Something that made him want to stay with her longer. He hadn't intended to see her out here, but now that they were together...he wanted to stay; he wanted to keep staring at her smile. Even if it didn't make all that much sense._

~!~

_He stared and watched as she worked. Her hands flew across the counter tops, mixing ingredients at a speed only he could so easily follow. She was getting good at her cooking routine and he loved watching every movement._

_Sometimes he stayed in the kitchen and did some simple workout routines of his own. A few months into their marriage, she'd asked him to come home earlier and spend time with her in the kitchen. He could easily do pushups on the kitchen floor, after all. Once he realized how much she enjoyed spending time with him – and how much he enjoyed it himself – Goku made sure to always be home when she was cooking dinner._

_It became a routine – one they shared. A tradition, in a way. Sometimes he even managed it for breakfast, too. She was notorious for waking up before him and starting without him – but that was a different matter entirely._

_Tonight, he wasn't working out at all. He was just sitting at the table and watching her. They didn't say a word. They didn't always talk. They didn't need to. Simply being around each other seemed to be enough to quell whatever strange urge they both shared. It wasn't the same as an intimacy urge, either. It was something different._

_Something he could remember experiencing when they were younger. Some deep part of his soul crying out to be closer to her. Especially when she was happy like this. She hummed as she worked and he knew it meant she was satisfied. He was satisfied, too._

_Well, his stomach growled at the aroma in the kitchen, but she'd commented before about how his stomach would never be satisfied. When she turned around, eyes narrowed with a playful spark, Goku smiled sheepishly. Her smile met his and he knew without either of them saying anything that this was a part of that love thing she'd talked about before they got married._

~!~

“ _Here, Goku, why don't you hold him for a while?”_

_He blinked when Chi-Chi picked their son up from his crib and held him out for Goku. “Huh? You want me to -?”_

“ _Of course, silly,” she said, her eyes narrowing as if challenging him to turn her down. “He **is** your son. He needs time with you, too.”_

“ _I...guess so,” he conceded, taking Gohan into his arms and trying to hold him the way Chi-Chi did all the time, cradling him gently. “He's just...he's so tiny.”_

_Chi-Chi put her hand on his arm and when he turned to meet her eyes, he saw her smile and felt his body relax. For some reason, being responsible for Gohan made him tense. Maybe it was because he wasn't sure how to handle a baby. Maybe he was worried about accidentally hurting the little guy. The shine in his wife's eyes helped him calm down and realize he was perfectly fine. Chi-Chi trusted him with Gohan. Just like she trusted him with her own body._

_Goku smiled as he turned his gaze back to the babbling baby in his arms. And then Chi-Chi tapped his shoulder. “Here. Sit down and feed him.”_

“ _Huh?” He turned wide eyes to his wife. “Feed him?”_

“ _Yeah,” she said, holding Gohan's baby bottle out to him, but pointing at the bed. “But sit down. It'll be easier for your first time.”_

_Not knowing any other way, Goku just nodded and did as she said. When he woke up early to the baby's crying, he hadn't expected to be forced into feeding the boy. Chi-Chi usually handled all of these moments. But she was insisting this time and he guessed it **was** important for him to do stuff with Gohan, too._

_Once he got situated on the bed, Chi-Chi handed the bottle to him and Goku shifted Gohan around gently for the best position. “Here ya go, kiddo.”_

_He lifted the bottle to his son's mouth and watched entranced as Gohan latched on naturally. He could feel the little monkey tail swishing back and forth beneath his arms and he smiled. Gohan continued to suck at the bottle, but the big eyes looked up at him, almost in curiosity._

“ _There,” Chi-Chi murmured as she moved over to sit next to him on the bed and lean against his side, her head resting against his shoulder. “See? You can handle it just fine, Goku.”_

_Not knowing how else to respond, Goku glanced from his son to his wife and met the small smiles with a big grin of his own. Having a family was still a new experience for him, but if it was filled with moments like these then he knew he would love every minute they spent together._

~!~

_The memory faded and was met with a sudden invasion of fire. Chi-Chi and Gohan stayed in his thoughts but the background of his house changed into a burning field. The memories became visions and dreams. Fire. Everywhere. A world destroyed. Earth destroyed. His friends dead but their laughing faces trapped as stills in his mind._

_Chi-Chi was laughing, too, until her scream pierced the air. The dream. The vision. Whatever it was; he knew it wasn't real, but it could be. Chi-Chi…_

_And then Gohan, too, calling for him. Running for him but never finding._

_Gohan and Chi-Chi consumed in Frieza's destruction._

~!~

His eyes snapped open. His energy spiked. He called on every ounce of power he held – and then some. The water parted around him and he sprang away from Frieza's clutches, no longer trapped, no longer drowning under the tyrant's claws.

Hovering in the air, Goku felt the power flow through him, felt the energy coursing around him. He saw Frieza's confused gaze and he met it with a glare of rage. He clenched his teeth and felt his power climb. He pushed the Kaio-ken beyond his limits and faced Frieza with renewed fire.

He would not fall. He could not fall. Everything depended on him. His son. His wife. Everyone else. The universe. All of it. Whether or not he was stronger than Frieza, it didn't matter. He still had to win. He still had to beat the evil here or it would spread. It would spread beyond Namek to every planet, to Earth. To Chi-Chi.

And he refused to allow that to happen. At any cost, he would make his stand here, and he _would not fail._


	15. Seeking Solace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [While Goku is on Yardrat...]

 

~!~

“ _A power of this magnitude can change a man. Right now Goku's struggling to hold on to who he is.” - Master Roshi, DBZ, Episode 96_

~!~

“Mom, why hasn't Dad come home yet?”

Chi-Chi stopped what she was doing at the question, turning from the kitchen counter to face her son's quivering eyes. He looked so lost and confused. Black bangs fell across his eyes, and the rest of his hair not only framed his face but traveled down his back in a wild, unkempt style. She hadn't insisted on cutting his hair since he returned from Namek – and frankly, she hadn't felt much like cutting it herself either. While it was nothing like his father's, the wild mess still made her think and long for Goku.

Goku, who had denied their wish when they asked the dragon to return him to Earth. Chi-Chi could understand Gohan's confusion. She felt it too. The elation at hearing how her husband wasn't dead had been short lived. While Goku's denial might have made sense to him, they were the ones left completely in the dark.

Why?

Why had Goku chosen to stay lost in space? Training, no doubt. His friends had laughed about how it was so like him – oh, that typical Goku – but inside, Chi-Chi was burning with the knowledge that he'd so obviously chosen training over family.

And now Gohan was beginning to lose his faith, too.

Chi-Chi took a moment to collect her thoughts as she poured two glasses of orange juice. Gohan could use the good natural vitamins as he studied, and she needed a break from her work anyway. As much as her insides were in a whirl over Goku's decision, Chi-Chi knew she couldn't show such a lack of faith to her son. As much as she wanted to doubt Goku, deep down she knew whatever he decided would be for the best. After all, he had promised not to leave her alone.

And this time, at least she had Gohan with her. Yes, she had Gohan, and her son needed to see her strength. He needed to see her trust in his father. After the distaste she'd shown in the hospital in the past, she needed to give her son proof that she still loved – and still had faith – in Goku.

Because she'd be damned if Gohan lost the admiration he had for his father.

So, she sat at the table with her son, set the glasses down for each of them, and gave the best smile she could manage with all the inner turmoil she now harbored. “Your father always does what's best for everyone, Gohan. If he isn't back yet, there's a reason. A good reason. I'm sure he'll explain everything when he does finally make it home.”

Gohan looked up at her, his eyes somewhat disbelieving but still so obviously longing for the hope she promised. “You really think so, Mom?”

She nodded and decided then and there to trust in Goku completely, if for no other reason than to keep Gohan from losing his own trust. “Yes, Gohan. I know your father better than anyone. He'll be back as soon as he can.”

At least, she had to hope he would.

~!~

“I can't believe Frieza's army is still functioning.”

A chuckle from the elder Yardrat met his concerned statement and Goku blinked as he turned to face the smaller creature. The bulbous pink head of the elder bounced as he continued to walk forward, a cane in one hand clicking on the rocky ground with each step. Elder Udon had been the one overseeing both Goku's recovery and training while on the planet, and there were many aspects of the Yardrat's mannerisms that made him nostalgic for the days of Master Roshi's training. Except for the perverted qualities. Yardrats didn't seem to be all that interested in women – if there were any Yardrat women. Come to think of it, even with all the time he'd spent here, Goku couldn't recall meeting a single female from the planet.

“You must understand, Saiyan Goku,” the elder said, even as Goku sighed at the use of his race's name. “The universe is a vast place. Even once a tyrant such as Frieza is defeated it will still take a while for the army to crumble. And someone will no doubt try to take control in Frieza's place.”

Goku narrowed his eyes at the thought, feeling his energy spike up in a sudden burst of rage. “I can't allow that to happen.”

His feet stopped moving forward as he saw flashes of his friend's death replay through his mind all over again. The very idea of it happening to someone else by another tyrant's hand, another Frieza even existing, and Goku found the rage hard to hold back. The weight in his arms – the boxes he'd been hauling across town for the elder – suddenly grew lighter as his energy snapped around him. He could feel the power course through him as well as that ever pounding urge to destroy any who might dare oppose him, any who might dare to harm another.

A gentle hand on his arm and he was made aware of the gathering heat. “Easy, Goku. Focus on the here and now. Hold on to who you are.”

The touch was more of a reminder to remain calm than the words. He'd created a mantra in his own mind to help keep control, but he rarely remembered to start up the repetitive lines without that simple little touch. Transforming against Frieza had taken him completely by surprise – of course, it had taken everyone by surprise. But ever since then, he'd found it increasingly hard to hold back at the very mention of the evil warlord.

He wanted to rampage. The urge to use his power was always frighteningly strong. Heck, he'd lost control once on the planet already. A visit from Frieza's soldiers, an attempt on their part to purge the planet, and Goku had accidentally transformed and left a wake of destruction in his path until exhaustion could overcome him. Because such a simple thing could set him off now. Memories made dreadful weapons.

Ever since then, the Yardrats had been wary. Oh, the elder stayed by his side, being helpful when need be, but most of the others kept a polite distance. They were friendly enough, though. They didn't scorn or hate him. After all, he _had_ protected their planet from Frieza's men, but they were still so cautious around him as if worried one wrong move could set off the crazed Super Saiyan.

He sighed as he dropped the rage, letting his energy slip back to normal. Sweat beaded on his forehead as a reaction from the tense muscles at having to hold back such a power. Still, he managed to shove the power down. One of these days, he'd learn to control it completely, but for now the best he could do was keep it under wraps.

Elder Udon noticed the change and removed his hand. “Better?”

“Yeah,” Goku said with a smile, loving the alien grin he got in return. “Thanks.”

“Anytime,” the elder muttered as he gestured for them to continue walking. Of course, the Yardrat orphanage would be expecting these boxes. Best not to waste too much time. “I've noticed something, Saiyan Goku.”

Once more, Goku made a face at the reminder of his true race, but the elder – and everyone else, really – insisted on calling him that so he'd quit fighting the Saiyan title so much. “Yeah?”

“You do not like being referred to by your race,” the Yardrat elder said, hardly glancing to him as he took steps down the rocky road. “Why is that?”

“Huh? Why?” Goku blinked but then decided to think on it when he received a nod. “I guess 'cause I never really thought of myself as a Saiyan. I was raised on Earth without ever knowing and I still don't like it being such a major part of my identity.”

“Ah, but you can't run from it. You are a Super Saiyan now, are you not?”

“Yeah,” Goku groaned, staring down at the rocks as he walked. “That's true.”

“You should embrace it, then,” the elder said as they stopped at a tall, slate building. The Yardrat put a pink hand up to the wall and with a few patient breaths, the door was revealed and opened to allow them access, sliding free. “I believe only once you are able to accept all of who you are will you be able to control all of what you are.”

Goku blinked as he followed the elder inside. These Yardrats were always saying such things to him, but he could clearly smell the advice in what they said. Especially when it came from the elder. Problem was, he didn't understand what they meant so following the advice was always rather difficult.

Making a face, he gave up on understanding the advice for now and instead focused on all the Yardrat children. Ah, children. Which meant there had to be female Yardrats somewhere even if he hadn't seen them, right? He shrugged at the thought and brushed it aside. Not like the matter was all that important anyway. He was just here to help deliver clothes and toys for the orphans – and then of course he could get back to training to learn the Yardrat's Instant Transmission technique. But this was important to the elder, so Goku didn't mind taking the time to help, especially when he saw the children's smiles at getting such gifts.

They really weren't able to speak his language – and he didn't think there was any way to learn theirs – but Goku could definitely see the excitement and glee in their eyes as he handed each little one something from the box. One of the Yardrat children even reached out to squeeze him in a grateful hug, a gesture that surpassed all the language barriers. It took him by surprise at first but he quickly offered his own grin and laugh. He liked seeing people happy, no matter what their race or what planet they came from.

After the gift giving was finished, Goku stood next to the Yardrat elder and watched the children dancing and playing around the broken room. His grin fell slowly at a memory of his own, a thought of his own son being left with only his mother to play with him.

“Hm. Something on your mind, Goku?”

With a shrug, Goku brought his hands up behind his head, stretching back to stare at the ceiling. “Reminds me of my son.”

“You have a son?”

Goku grinned, bringing his hands back down as he faced the elder. “Yeah and he's a chip off the old block, too.” A blank stare reminded him of how the Yardrat could speak and understand his language but understanding common slang sayings was beyond him. “It means he's a lot like me. Except he's smarter. His mother made sure of that with how much she makes him study.”

“Ah,” the Yardrat nodded. “Then you are proud of him?”

Goku nodded. “Definitely.”

His eyes drifted to the floor again and he scratched at his cheek. Thinking of Gohan made him think of Chi-Chi. He tried not to because the ache that hit his chest was too reminiscent of the time on Snake Way. Except she wasn't alone this time. She had Gohan. Or she _should_ have Gohan with her, unless something had happened that he wasn't aware of and -

“You miss her.”

“Huh?” Goku blinked, snapping his gaze to the Yardrat elder.

“Your...wife,” Elder Udon said. “You miss her.”

“Oh. Yeah. Of course.” He closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his head, trying to smile despite the spreading ache in his chest. “Yeah, I miss her, but I can't go back until I have complete control over myself. I don't want to hurt her.”

“Your absence may already be hurting her.”

Goku winced and then tried to cover it up with a light laugh. “Heh. Hey. Don't remind me. I'd rather wait here and learn that new technique you're teaching me. By then I should have control over this Super Saiyan thing and she won't have to worry about her husband going on a rampage.”

The elder smiled and held up a single finger. “You've only done that once.”

“Yeah, but...” With a frown, Goku set his hands near his waist and met the stare of the elder. “Look. Just trust me.”

He closed his eyes and felt the ache in his heart as he imagined his wife waiting for him once again. _Don't worry, Chi-Chi. I'll be back as soon as I can. Just trust me._

 


	16. Excuses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Goku returns to Earth]

 

~!~

“ _What took you so long, Dad?” - Gohan, DBZ, Episode 121_

~!~

Goku grinned as he flew away from his landing site. It felt good to be back. As much as he enjoyed exploring new places and learning new techniques, being on his home planet after so long actually made him feel even lighter than usual, though that was probably just the lesser Earth gravity. Still, he enjoyed flying through the familiar fresh air alongside his quickly growing son and his older rival turned friend.

Piccolo didn't say anything as they flew over the Earth terrain, but Goku sure could feel that gaze. It was like the Namekian wanted more of an explanation from him, too. In fact, Gohan's gaze was just as pressingly curious, and he wasn't saying anything either. Gosh, what more did they want from him? He'd shown off his new technique already. He'd talked about his escape from Namek and quickly glossed over the time he spent on Yardrat. So, yeah, what more could he explain?

Come to think of it, what more would Chi-Chi expect from him?

At the thought, Goku stopped his forward momentum and pulled up short, letting his energy fall away as he decided to hover in the air. He crossed his arms and frowned. What _was_ he going to tell Chi-Chi? He'd been so excited at the idea of coming home – and admittedly, training again, too – that he'd completely neglected to think of a good excuse for when he did return.

“Dad?”

Goku looked up at the somewhat confused, somewhat worried look from his son. He tilted his head, finally taking a moment to wonder at why Gohan was wearing the Saiyan armor. He didn't even realize the boy would still have that or would want to wear it for that matter. Then again, they had all been there when Frieza arrived, expecting to fight, so if Gohan still had the armor then it was probably a smart move to wear it for the protection. Goku just found the image strange. Maybe once he got a chance to train the boy himself, Gohan wouldn't feel like wearing that stuff anymore.

Chi-Chi sure wasn't going to like the idea of training Gohan, though. He'd have to convince her somehow. Not at first, though. He actually wanted her to have a reason to be happy when he first got home. She could get mad at him later, but first he wanted to…

“Oh,” he said, blinking at yet another important thought. “Hey, Piccolo, would you mind watching Gohan for me for a little while?”

“Huh?” Gohan interrupted, flying over to hover in front of him. “What's wrong, Dad?”

“Nothing, son,” Goku smiled as he set a hand on his son's head. _Wow_ the kid sure was growing fast. “I just need some alone time with your mother.”

“Huh?” Gohan blinked. “Alone time?”

Bringing a hand to his own head, Goku laughed a little at the gentle reminder of how of course Gohan was still too young to catch the hint. He wasn't growing up _that_ fast. “Yeah. You know. Before we bring up the androids and training for three years.”

“Oh, I get it!”

Goku felt his eyes widen. “You do?”

“Yeah,” Gohan grinned. “You're gonna warm her up to the idea by yourself. That way when she finds out Piccolo is gonna be staying with us, it won't be such a shock.”

Giving a light chuckle at Gohan's reasoning, Goku relaxed a little and put two fingers to his forehead. “Uh. Yeah. That. Piccolo?”

“I'll watch him, Goku,” Piccolo grumbled, his eyes staring him down in only partial understanding. “But need I remind you I don't like the idea of wasting too much time when we have a serious threat ahead of us.”

“Right, right,” he said as he waved off the Namekian's worries. “This won't take long. I promise.”

With the assurance that Gohan would successfully be out of the way for a time, Goku could now focus on the simple matter of locating Chi-Chi's energy signal. Which didn't take him long at all. Her ki's soft light was the same tender glow as always – the perfect beacon to find his home.

~!~

With Gohan out of the house, Chi-Chi found herself returning to a routine of tidying up the place. Whether it was necessary or not, she needed something to do to keep her mind from worrying too much. So she picked up and organized the pile of study books in Gohan's room. She glanced at his current project and smiled, satisfied at his progress. Gohan's education was coming along nicely but he still ran the risk of falling behind. With all of his adventuring – and running out of the house without her permission – he was going to lose what small advantage he'd already managed.

Of course she'd found the perfect solution. A special kit that would help him learn while he slept. It was ingenious. This way he wouldn't fall behind at all, no matter how often he skipped out on his study sessions.

She was in the process of stacking books on the bookshelves when a presence appeared behind her and set a hand on her shoulder. Not even sure she heard the greeting correctly, Chi-Chi reacted instinctively and swung the textbook she had in hand. She swung it around as hard as she could, aiming to smack her strange assailant. After all, she was no push over. She was the daughter of the Ox-King and the wife of -

“Ow! Okay, maybe surprising you wasn't such a good idea after all.”

Textbook still in hand, Chi-Chi turned at the voice and found her breath catch in her throat at the sight before her. Familiar wild black hair poking up in all directions. Sweet dark eyes – one of which was currently closed as he rubbed his cheek – looked up at her from where he squatted on the ground. Oh, the outfit was different, and pretty absurd, but when she put all the pieces together and realized this wasn't an illusion or a dream…

“Goku?”

Somehow she managed to whisper his name and the grin that split his face as he stood up made her heart melt. “Yeah. It's me. You've still got a pretty mean swing there, Chi-Chi. Remind me to be careful about surprising you in the future.”

A thousand thoughts flew through her mind as she stared at him. She held onto the textbook and tried to focus on breathing again. After all the doubt and worry, all the late nights wondering if he ever would come back. She'd put on the brave and trusting face for Gohan, wanting to have that same undying faith. But as the days and weeks ticked by without a sign or explanation, the doubt had become increasingly difficult to push down. She'd managed to stay optimistic for Gohan's sake, but she had started to live life in routines that didn't include or expect her husband. After all, that was one of the ways to cope with his absence, one that kept her from being bitter and instead just left her with a longing.

“Chi-Chi?” His voice made time turn again and she looked up as he put a hand behind his head in a familiar sheepish gesture. “Please don't be mad. I came back as soon as I could – I promise.”

“Goku,” she muttered, narrowing her eyes and bringing her hands to her hips, watching how his gaze followed her movements and how he even seemed to tense at the harsh reaction he was expecting. Well, then, if that was what he expected from her, maybe she should go ahead and let him have it. “What took you so long?”

At her tone, his hands came up defensively right on cue. His eyes shook and she could see the slight tremble in his fingers as he faced her ire. “Aw, come on, Chi-Chi, I told you I came back as soon as I -”

“Oh really?” She huffed, tapping the book she still held, even if it was now positioned at her waist; the gesture and dripping tone made him wince and step back from her as if expecting another swing – like she would ever smack him on purpose. _Honestly._ He deserved this treatment if she spent so long having faith in him and he couldn't have faith in her. “Then why did you tell the dragon not to bring you back even when we wished for you to be returned to Earth?”

“Chi-”

Before he could protest some more, she held up Gohan's textbook and shook it in the air. She watched his eyes follow the gesture, stared back when he glanced to her as if to ask if she was really threatening him. Maybe she was. It was his own fault for trying to side step the explanation she so desperately needed. Being dead for a year was one thing. Being gone in space somewhere – and denying a wish to have him returned – that was something else entirely.

Still, she didn't miss the grimace as he slumped his shoulders like a child having been caught in a bad decision. “It's actually really complicated, Chi-Chi. Can't you just trust me?”

“Just trust you?” She mocked. “You think I haven't been trusting in you all this time? I'm not asking for much, Goku. Is it so wrong to want to know why my husband left me for over a year even _after_ he promised to never leave me alone for so long again?”

The hurt that flashed across Goku's eyes instantly made her replay and regret her words. She hadn't meant to go so far, but some unknown bitterness must have crept up to the surface anyway. She'd worked so hard to keep her faith, too. Of course, she'd also been banking on a good explanation once he did return and the way he dodged her request made her lash out unintentionally.

When he took a while to answer, she realized she had gone and ruined the playful atmosphere in the room. His appearance – surprising and sudden as it had been – had given her the bouncy, excited aura she missed so much. And now she'd killed it.

His eyes wouldn't even look at her now. His arms slowly came down to his side. His gaze turned to the floor, his bangs shading his expression from her view. She held her breath when his hand clenched up into a fist and shook a little as if fighting back some violent urge. Which put her off guard. Goku never reacted violently – not to _her_ , not to something _she_ said or did.

She took a step closer to him, opening her mouth to apologize, not so much for the demand but for the way she said it at least. “Goku -”

Only, she was interrupted by his action. In a swift movement she had no chance of anticipating, his arm reached out and crushed her against him. He held her close to him, knocking the wind from her lungs because of the sudden gesture but not holding her too tightly or anything once she was pressed into him. One arm encircled around her shoulders and the other left his hand at the small of her back, gently but firmly keeping her still.

The atmosphere was impossible to read. Goku didn't say a word. He simply held her, but there was something powerful about the gesture, about how she was trapped in his arms. Pressed against him like this, she could smell the strange mix of alien scents coming from his absurd outfit, but underneath it all was the comforting sense of _him_. Even if the alien body armor and fabric in his clothes felt nothing like the familiar gi, his embrace was still _his_.

“I'm sorry, Chi-Chi,” his voice rumbled at last, soft but firm. “I don't know what Gohan told you, but something happened to me on Namek. Something that almost changed me. For a time, it kind of did. So when I crash landed on another planet, I had to stay. You understand now?”

Sitting in his arms, she looked up to face his hard – but pleading – gaze. To be honest, she didn't understand. It was a little too complicated and vague, but before she said as much she was reminded of what he'd said earlier. How he'd tried to tell her it was complicated. How even if it _was_ difficult to explain, he'd just attempted to anyway. For her sake.

Meeting his eyes, she reached up slowly to caress his cheek – the same one she'd accidentally hit earlier. “You don't seem all that different to me, Goku.”

Relief flooded his face as his expression softened considerably, the big grin returning to its usual place. “I'm glad you think so, Chi.”

His lips came down and met hers and she sighed into the kiss. All the longing she had built up in place of the possible bitterness now seemed to burst free at finally getting the chance to touch him intimately again. It was amazing how much emotion could be shared in such a simple gesture, a simple kiss, but after being separated for so long she shouldn't have been too surprised.

While her heart was satisfied just to have him home again, her body craved him in ways her heart could not. She wrapped her arms around his neck, the textbook dropping to the floor to sit there half open and forgotten. By the way both of his hands went to her waist and pulled her even closer, she had to assume he felt the same urge, the same longing. Not just one year. Two years – _more_ even – without the chance to feel each other.

It was no wonder she almost forgot to ask her other important question. “Wait, Goku.”

He frowned and tilted his head curiously, the spark of lust slowly growing in his eyes even as he waited patiently. “Huh? What is it, Chi-Chi?”

“Where's Gohan?” The look of panic that flashed across his face made her narrow her eyes and tug at his hair. “Where's my son, sweetheart?”

Goku winced, one eye closing. “He's uh...he's with Piccolo.”

“ _Piccolo_?” She snapped, hands going to his shoulders as she tried to lift up to push her face into his. “Why is he with Piccolo?”

“Hey, Chi-Chi, it's okay. Piccolo is one of us now,” he said, offering a tight smile. “Gohan's fine. Trust me.”

_Trust me…_

With an exaggerated groan, she let herself fall back into his patient arms, but not without sending him a sly grin of her own. “All right, Goku. I trust you. But you're going to have to help me get you out of this absurd costume.”

His relieved laughter filled the house and Chi-Chi realized how empty the place was without it. And how much she had missed him and his laughter and his silly big grins that could light up every room. It was good to have him back.

“Okay, yeah, I'll help,” he chuckled as he leaned down to kiss her once more. “I guess it is pretty complicated.”

 


	17. Vengeance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Chi-Chi insists that Goku goes shopping with her]

 

~!~

“ _Mom says she loves to shop so much because it's a stress reliever.” - Gohan, DBZ Movie 7: Super Android 13!_

~!~

Days blurred into each other as the year passed by. Day after day of the same thing. Wishing a good morning to Goku and Gohan and Piccolo. Handing them breakfast. Enjoying their company at the table even with the strange green man crowding the family moment. And then inevitably saying goodbye to each of them as they left for training. Leaving her to tend the house. Alone.

Oh, Goku leaving the house for the day was nothing new. It was almost nostalgic in a way, reminiscent of the early years of their marriage. She missed those days, and just like back then she always had food and smiles aplenty ready for him when he got home.

Only this time, her son was out there with him. As much as she liked seeing Gohan spend time with his father – especially after the year Goku had spent in space – Chi-Chi had to admit to a little jealousy. Jealousy because Gohan was more excited to spend time with his father than with her. And jealousy because her husband was away from her, having fun without her, raising their son without her.

With dinner simmering on the stove, Chi-Chi sat down at the kitchen table with her hands in her lap. She stared at the wood and wondered why such an insignificant little thing was bothering her so much. Goku was _home_. Training as normal but _always_ in bed beside her at night. She should be thankful for what she had, not fretting over needing more or wanting more.

Gohan was with him, too, which was good. Father and son needed to have their time together. They needed something to bond over. Oh, sure, she wished Gohan could be spending more time studying. After all, he was going to get behind on his studies at this rate and who knew how long it would take him to catch up when all of this training mess was finished. Goku had promised her it would only last for three years, but three years was a long time and…

“Hey, Gohan, why don't you take that around back and we'll get it ready for your mother to cook.”

“Okay, Dad!”

Chi-Chi turned her head to the front door, hearing the voices before the door ever opened. If there was one thing she wished she could learn how to do, it was the ability they all seemed to have to track each other. To know when they were getting closer, so she didn't have to be so surprised every time they returned from training earlier – or worry when they were late.

Although she heard both Goku and Gohan outside, when the door opened only her husband came walking in. “Hey, Chi-Chi.”

He paused in his steps as she frowned back at him. He'd forgotten to close the door. Again. Or maybe he was leaving it open for Gohan and Piccolo. Either way, she was not in the mood to deal with it. He had a bad habit of forgetting to close doors ever since he'd returned – resulting in one too many awkward bedroom moments – and she was just about at the end of her rope when it came to him.

She lifted her hands from her lap, felt her fists shaking in her frustration. He walked in closer, putting his hand on the table as he leaned over her. She glared at him, opening her mouth to give him a piece of her mind.

Her words were swallowed before they could ever break free. His mouth met hers, his tongue taking that chance to dive in for something a little more sensual. Her eyes widened even as his closed. When she pushed away, he put a hand to the back of her head and pulled her back.

Face flushing, Chi-Chi turned her head to glance out the open door, finally getting him to break that embarrassingly timed kiss. “Hey, relax, Chi-Chi. They're both out back so they wouldn't be able to see anything. Gohan caught a fish for -”

“Fish. Great,” she mumbled sarcastically, looking up at him as he moved his hand around to rest on her cheek, thumb on her chin. He was planning another kiss from the look of it. Ever since he'd been back, he'd been more...well… “What was that for?”

Goku shrugged, leaning in to press his forehead against hers with a smile. “You looked upset.”

She huffed and pulled back as best she could, crossing her arms, narrowing her eyes. “I am upset.”

“Aw,” he pouted, stepping back and scratching at his cheek. “If that didn't help, is there something else I can do? I don't like seeing you upset, Chi-Chi.”

“Then why'd you fight me so hard so you could train with Gohan?”

She seethed at him before she could stop the words, cringing inwardly at his wince. “Chi...”

They'd already been through this. She didn't need to keep fussing about it if they'd already come to an agreement, especially when that wasn't _really_ the crux of the issue. “You spend all day out there with Gohan and Piccolo doing who knows what -”

“Training, mostly. Chi-Chi, come on, wha -”

A well timed glare as she got to her feet caused him to shut his mouth in an instant. “Goku, you spend all your time with them. It's been a year since you came back from space and all you've done is train. While I'm sitting here cooking and cleaning and washing your sweaty training clothes.”

At least he had the nerve to blush and look a little apologetic. The tension dropped from his shoulders, and he stepped close to her again. His hands went to her hips, pulling her in gently. She made sure to keep her arms crossed and her head turned. His sweet games weren't going to distract her this time.

“All right, I get it,” he said, his voice dropping into the lower, softer tone he usually reserved for the bed room. “We'll spend a day on a family outing. Like we used to do when Gohan was younger. Maybe a picnic or a barbeque or -”

“No!”

“No?” His voice snapped back into its normal range, making his shock even more apparent. “But, Chi-Chi, what -”

She put a finger over his lips, noting how even such a simple touch tamed him down. “Shopping. I want you and Gohan to go shopping with me, and I guess Piccolo would have to come, too.”

“Shopping?” He repeated, whispering around her finger. “But, Chi-Chi, I _hate_ shopping. It's so boring.”

“So is waiting around all day with nothing new to do,” she snapped back, turning and pushing gently out of his hold to prepare the table for dinner. They could at least start eating what she'd already prepared while they waited for the fish to cook; knowing her boys, it would barely be enough to satisfy them anyway. “Besides, it's time we bought you some new clothes.”

“Heh, I guess,” Goku said as he let her go and scratched at his head. “But -”

“Good,” she interrupted before he could say more. “Then it's decided. Tomorrow we'll go shopping and you can even drive us there in our new car.”

Goku made a noise that was a cross between a grunt and a whine. She looked up from setting the table to see him still scratching at his head, but staring at the ground now. He was half-glaring, half-pouting, like he couldn't decide what kind of upset he wanted to be, and yet he had one hand near his waist like he was still thinking it over. She knew getting him to go to town wasn't always easy, but if she had to fuss a little more about her own happiness she was sure he would cave eventually.

When he sighed and looked to her with a smile, she realized she wouldn't have to push her case anymore after all. “All right. Tomorrow then. Man, Piccolo's gonna be a little upset but I guess it's better than forcing him to take a driving test.”

~!~

Goku hated shopping. _Hated_ it. The lines. The smells. The crowds of people everywhere they went. He liked the open air. His idea of a good outing involved relaxing among the nature, listening to all the little things life had to offer. Not chasing his wife from one store to another as the pile of boxes in his arms grew taller with each passing hour.

Piccolo was disgruntled over this detour from their usual training schedule, too. The Namekian walked along behind him, insisting on his normal attire, and Gohan of course grinned happily as he walked along beside him, attempting to point out anything that might interest Piccolo. He wasn't being all too successful, either, though Goku could tell his son sure was trying hard. Piccolo just wasn't the type to fit in or find interest in a mall.

“Why am I even here?”

Goku glanced back at the Namekian and stopped his steps when he saw the frustration clear on his comrade's face. Disgruntled didn't begin to cover that wave of emotion. Piccolo was way more controlled than Vegeta, but pulling him along into a crowd of humans might have been a bad idea. While Goku hated shopping malls for their massive amounts of conflicting scents, Piccolo must have been dealing with the loud bustle and massive amounts of _noise_ from so many people doing so many different things. They both preferred their country dwellings for different, but similar, reasons.

Goku was just more willing to break out of his comfort zone in order to appease Chi-Chi. Piccolo was a different matter entirely, though he'd been sure Gohan would be enough. Only now, he could feel his son's eyes on him, clearly worried about their green friend's current state.

“Hey, Chi-Chi,” Goku called over his shoulder. “Hang on a sec, would you?”

He could hear his wife huff as she stomped up beside him. “What is it now, Goku?”

Turning to look at her, he felt his face break into a slow smile. This really was a happy family outing for her, even if he was bored and somewhat miserable. Seeing that gleam in her dark eyes made everything somehow worth it. Every little nuisance – the smells, the lines, the noise – washed away from his mind at the gentle reminder of why he caved in to her so much. Even if she was sending him that playful glare of hers as she waited for an explanation.

Words eluded him as he stared at her, forgetting his whole reason for stopping, forgetting he had stopped in the first place. “Uhm.”

Black hair, her side bangs specifically, brushed across her cheeks as Chi-Chi leaned back on her feet and waited for Goku's reasoning in the middle of the mall's walkway. She raised an eyebrow when no more words made it past Goku's open mouth. Before she could gripe at him for wasting time, Gohan jumped to the rescue.

“Hey, Mom, Dad?” Gohan said, causing Goku to tear his entranced gaze from his wife. “Is it okay if I go into that bookstore for a little bit? I'll take Mr. Piccolo with me.”

Goku nodded, but Chi-Chi's voice worked before his could. “That's fine, Gohan. Your father and I can keep searching for clothes without you. You're all set on outfits for a while anyway. Have fun and feel free to pick out a book or two while you're there.”

Gohan gave a little nod in return, looking to the Namekian with a smile. “Come on, Mr. Piccolo, I bet you'll love the bookstore. It's nice and quiet.”

Hearing those words as his son left made him smile. Gohan really did notice the little things about people. Much better than his old man, that was for sure. Shifting the stack of boxes in his arms, he watched as Piccolo followed Gohan into the nearby bookstore. A part of him wondered if it really would be more interesting to sit in there instead of following Chi-Chi around to look at all these clothes…

“All right, Goku,” his wife said, snapping his attention back to her in an instant. “What'd you stop for?”

He shrugged. “Doesn't matter anymore.”

“Doesn't -” Chi-Chi threw her hands up as she turned around with a sigh. “So be it, then. Come on. I want to try to find something nice that'll both look good and fit appropriately.”

With a blink, Goku quickly followed after her. Now that Gohan and Piccolo were no longer in their entourage, he wanted to keep pace and walk beside his wife instead of plodding along behind while she took the lead. It was easier to focus on her sweet scent if he was next to her, after all. Considering the waves of so many artificial smells in the air, he could really appreciate the simplistic, natural aroma coming from her.

Walking along beside her, Goku spared a glance to her facial expressions as she voiced her complaints about finding just the right attire for herself. She really did seem annoyed, and yet they kept passing store after store as they walked through the crowds. She even ignored the nice salesmen in the center of the aisles. Goku frowned and brought his gaze to the stack of boxes piled in his hands and the few bags draping his arms.

“But, Chi-Chi,” he muttered. “What's wrong with everything you've picked out so far?”

“It's just not what I'm looking for,” she said, her eyes focused ahead as she scanned the area. “You wouldn't understand.”

Puffing his bottom lip out in a pout, Goku grumbled to himself about never understanding women. A sign to the left caught his eye mid-step, and he slowly dropped his pace until he was standing in front of a store that sold something he couldn't really read correctly. Clothes, obviously, but it was labeled something like linger-y? Maybe?

He shook his head. It didn't matter. What had caught his eye in the first place was what one of the model's was wearing. It reminded him of something Master Roshi had made him wear once. Him and Krillin and Master Roshi and Launch…

He hummed at a new thought and turned to find his wife, grateful to see that she'd noticed his pause and was retracing her steps to meet him. Though her hands were at her hips and she didn't look too happy. “Goku, what are -”

“Hey, Chi-Chi,” he said, nodding toward the linger-something store. “I think you'd look good in that stuff.”

She followed his gaze and he watched as her eyes grew wide and her face turned so red it was almost glowing. While his breath hitched when she turned an angry glare back to him, he had no idea _why_. He was just trying to be helpful, and he was telling the truth, too; he thought she'd look good. Of course she looked good in everything she wore but -

“Goku!” She nearly shrieked, face still red as she stomped up to grab his ear and pull his head down so she could snap directly in his eardrum, making him yelp as he struggled to both keep his balance and keep himself from losing all of her shopping goods. “That is _highly_ inappropriate and _not_ something you say in public!”

“Ow, ow, ow,” he whined. “Okay, okay, Chi-Chi. I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I didn't know!”

Thankfully, she let him go easily, and he straightened up with a whimper, shifting his hold of the boxes to one hand so he could rub his sore ear. Meanwhile, Chi-Chi hummed as her anger simmered. “Well, you have been good all day, and Gohan is with Piccolo elsewhere...”

He whined again, trying to understand what she was getting at but coming up short. “Chi-Chi, I don't understand. Why does it matter what Gohan and Piccolo are doing?”

Wide dark eyes turned on him, her hand going to her face which was no longer red but still sporting a blush. “Oh, sweetheart, you really had no idea what you were implying, did you?”

“Huh?”

His confused blink must have said it all, because she finally smiled at him. Smiled and gestured for him to lower his head down to her level, which he did with only a little bit of wariness. What she whispered in his ear made his own face explode with heat. When her explanation continued, his tongue went to the roof of his mouth as his body suddenly rose in temperature for more than one reason.

After she finished, he glanced between her and the _lingerie_ , swallowing the strange sensation lodged in the back of his throat. “Oh.”

Chi-Chi giggled, as if his reaction suddenly made the entire situation funny and playful. She even went so far as to grab his arm and tug him toward the store. “Why don't we go in and look around? I'll let you choose something you like. Okay?”

He gulped, his mind suddenly filling with all sorts of scenarios that he'd never even thought of before. Just looking at her now made his _ki_ shake out of its normal resting boundaries, and he had to actually focus hard to keep it from snapping loose in his newfound excitement.

“Yeah,” he managed to say as Chi-Chi once again introduced him to a whole new world. “Okay.”

He sure hoped this would be the last store of the day.


	18. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Goku and Chi-Chi share an intimate moment]

 

~!~

“ _Love? What's that?” - Goku_

“ _I'll show you.” - Chi-Chi_

_[Dragon Ball Episode 137]_

~!~

Planning their sexual activity had never been something they did. Goku was too reactive. He lived in the moment and took each day one step at a time. Oh, Chi-Chi made rules for him to follow both in and out of the bedroom, especially once Gohan was born. Always check on the kid first so he wouldn't overhear or accidentally see something he shouldn't, which meant no more sex outside the bedroom, much to Goku's slight disappointment. She giggled behind her hand at the image. The new rule had led to more instances of him picking her up and carrying her to their room, which she enjoyed thoroughly.

Of course there was the rule about too much public affection. Mostly to do with kissing in public, especially since his kisses could so easily lead to more. Oh, she let him get away with cute little pecks, but anything more than that was reserved for the two of them.

She liked keeping things personal. Between them. Having something that he did with her and only her out of view of anyone else. It made the little moments of affection more special, more meaningful. To her, at least.

Goku learned how to read her, too. When it came to knowing or understanding other people, he was a lost cause. But _her…_

Chi-Chi smiled as she stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. If someone had told her younger self that her husband would one day pick out lingerie for her, she would have laughed. Goku? Interested in something like that? No, he was too innocent for that; marital sex with him would be sweet and vanilla because he simply had never been exposed to anything else and his mind didn't wander.

Seeing his face when she'd explained the purpose of lingerie had completely reversed her previous expectations. Maybe she should have dabbled in buying sexy clothing earlier. Goku just hadn't seemed the type to care so much about the looks or the dress. Thinking back on it, he hadn't given a second glance to the models on the posters and ads. It wasn't until _she_ was brought into the equation that he showed any reaction at all.

If that didn't hammer in the point that he loved her, that she was special to him, then nothing would.

Chi-Chi ran a hand down the black lacy babydoll piece, remembering Goku's near constant blush in the store as she held up different selections, letting him imagine each one as if she were wearing it so he could make his choice. She'd never seen him so quiet, either. Getting Gohan from the bookstore, driving all the way home, spending dinner without a word, staring at her, all but begging her to hurry up to get ready for bed so they could enact whatever fantasies she'd accidentally turned on.

Really. It was one of the first times since their wedding night where she had no idea what to expect from him. Maybe that was why she was hesitating in front of the bathroom mirror. So many emotions pooled in her stomach, besides the obvious. She was one part thrilled, one part worried.

Ever since Goku had returned from space, his sexual libido had sky-rocketed. He was still sweet and gentle of course, but more often than not he dove for the chance to feel her all over again instead of rolling over in bed to sleep. Not that she was complaining. She'd been aching for him ever since that fateful trip to Master Roshi's. And she had him, all of him, as he had her.

Taking a deep breath to prepare herself, Chi-Chi lifted her hands to the ties in her hair. One last thing. He loved it when her hair was down, even if he never said as much. She could tell by the way he always stared, by the way his hands would brush her hair back from her shoulders…

Well. Enough day dreaming. It was time to step out and see what his reaction would be.

Opening the door to her own bedroom had never been so nerve-racking. Feeling her heart pounding in her chest, Chi-Chi stepped passed the threshold and closed the door behind her, hovering with her hand still on the knob. She felt like a young newlywed all over again, having to face that same fear her virgin self had experienced, constantly reminding herself that this was _Goku_ , her _husband_.

“Oh,” his breathy whisper traveled all the way across the room. “Wow.”

Slowly, she looked up, letting her hair slide across her face to reveal him to her vision. Goku stood near their bed, his arms crossed, his stance one of barely held restraint as he turned to look at her. He was wearing nothing but his boxers, only because she had requested he not start the evening already bare.

She raised her eyes, scoping out his beautifully sculpted chest, lingering a little on his slightly parted lips, meeting his return gaze, and then quickly turning her head away. She could feel her face heat and she could hear his footsteps as he glided across the room. But she couldn't get the sight of his eyes out of her mind. The fire of lust, so deep, so primal, more poignant than she ever remembered seeing.

“Chi-Chi,” he said, his voice in that lower range that sent pleasurable shivers down her body. “I know I probably don't say it enough, but you're beautiful.”

A hand was on her cheek, a thumb under her chin, turning her head to face him. Their eyes met. He smiled. She slowly smiled back, feeling the love in her heart relaxing the senseless worry in her mind.

The explosion of sudden light took them both by complete surprise.

~!~

Goku jumped back as soon as it happened, wide eyes of his own meeting his wife's startled, confused gaze. The golden _ki_ of his Super Saiyan state left a little trail when he sprang back, and he put a hand to his chest to try to calm the rush of energy flowing throughout his entire body. Focus. Breathe. Calm.

He was like a wire that had been snapped. His heart pounded. His blood pumped, heating his veins, especially the area down below. Staring back at her meant seeing her with his enhanced vision, noting every curve, every enticing shadow hiding underneath her new see-through lingerie. He gulped and tried to breathe, having lost the urge to inhale simply at the expression in her eyes. And the _smell_ – sweet yet earthy, her more natural scents pulsing through the room and filling him with even more mad desire. She transformed him.

Quite literally this time.

When he managed to collect himself enough, he closed his eyes as he sighed and felt the _ki_ slowly slip away from him. His hair relaxed atop his head into its normal state and color. The light in the room faded back to how it was before, and his heightened senses went with it – both a blessing and curse, as he longed for the deeper awareness of her like never before now. The glow hitting his eyelids died and he opened his eyes to roam her body once more, forcing himself to concentrate and keep the excitement down.

The way she had gazed at him had just been so…

“Goku,” she said once he returned to normal. “What was that?”

He took a breath, put a hand behind his head, and laughed. “Sorry about that, Chi-Chi. I should have more control. I didn't really expect to get excited enough to transform.”

“Transform?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “We call it a Super Saiyan. It's – uh – remember when I came back last year? When I told you -”

She was already ahead of him. “Something happened to you on Namek. Yeah, I remember. So, this is what happened?”

She wasn't freaking out. In fact, she was so accepting of the strange transformation he was kind of blown away. Walking back to where she stood against the door, Goku smiled and brought his hand to her cheek again, loving the feel of her smooth skin under his fingers.

“Yeah, that's what happened,” he said. “I didn't think I could lose control anymore, but it's okay. I know what caused it. It won't happen again, so don't be afraid.”

She stood tall, reached out to touch his chest, her eyes daring him to deny her next words. “I'm not afraid.”

His heart soared, lighting him up from the inside. He really shouldn't have expected anything less from her. She trusted him wholeheartedly, never doubting, waiting for him for so long and picking up right where they left off. True. Brave. Strong. His.

Just like he was hers.

Leaning over, he tilted her face up and captured her mouth in his, wanting to taste her. His thumb brushed her cheek as he took in her scent, breathed in her flavor. Their lips parted almost simultaneously, and he dove in to play with her, gently pressing his tongue against hers as she responded in kind.

While he kept one hand stroking her face, his other moved to touch the new fabric covering his beautiful wife. Sliding his fingers against the soft but thin garment, he found his way to her hip, letting his hand slip under the article of clothing to touch her bare skin.

Chi-Chi moaned into their kiss, and he reacted with a deep-throated growl as he pulled away for air. Dropping from her face, his other hand mimicked the one before it. Tracing lines down her scantily covered side, he moved the garment to the side without any effort, feeling it flutter as it settled back against his wrists.

Hands that weren't his roamed on his chest and he closed his eyes when she breathed his name. “Goku.”

Tongue going to the roof of his mouth, Goku groaned as he waited for her to settle her hands at his shoulders like she always did. Meanwhile he caressed the soft, supple skin around her hips, lowering down to squeeze the cushion of her backside. He was pleasantly surprised to find whatever underwear she was wearing didn't cover the back – and honestly it barely hid much in front for that matter.

Sure, she'd let him choose the outfit, but that didn't mean he remembered all the ins and outs of what he'd decided on in the end. Every piece had seemed so perfect on her in his imagination. _This_ was perfect. _She_ was perfect.

“Chi-Chi,” Goku groaned as he slid his eyes open, feeling his erection twitch behind the confines of his shorts when her hazy eyes raised to meet his. “I'm going to lift you against the wall now. Is that okay?”

A smile. A nod. “As long as you're -”

“Gentle,” he finished, lips quirking up in his own smile. “Yeah, I know. You don't have to remind me.”

~!~

Her back didn't so much _hit_ the wall as it _pressed_. Save for the lack of soft sheets, she could have been laying against the bed with all the care Goku put into moving her. Her legs hanging in the air was a new experience, so when he closed in she did what her instincts demanded and wrapped them around his waist.

He grunted, murmured her name against her ear, and then proceeded to leave a trail of kisses around her neck and bare shoulders. While her fingers toyed with the short edges and split ends of his wild hair, she murmured his name right back at him. Especially when he found a sensitive spot that sent electrifying shivers running throughout her body. Heat pooled near her stomach and she gasped as his hands finally did more than hold her.

Sliding under the thin, lacy panties, Goku pushed a thumb against her center and she squirmed as her body screamed for more. He only needed one hand to hold her up and between her grip around his waist, his neck, and the wall at her back, he barely needed that much. So he poked, prodded, pressed, and played with her all while she gasped his name, already discovering her breath failing to do much more than pant.

On top of this, his mouth was on the move again, sucking at the skin between her breasts, burying his face in her cleavage. After kissing the top of one breast, his tongue danced around until he caught the lacy bust of her lingerie in his teeth, freeing her nipple to the cold air before feeding it with more attention.

With all the focus on pleasing her, Chi-Chi tried to fight through the haze so she could do more than cling to him. Sometimes in their love making sessions she was able to return the favor, but all too often he had her writhing before she could even hope to think. If she complained later, he would brush her off, too. He'd say how he was happy just making her happy, essentially insisting that her pleasure was his pleasure. Chi-Chi didn't want to seem selfish; she wanted to make him feel good, too, because after all these years he knew her so well and still she had to wonder if he was truly satisfied.

When his movements became more frantic, she knew her chance had come. Whether or not she was in a position to give him physical touches – beyond the light hair pulling she was already engaged in – Chi-Chi knew one of the best things she could do would be to verbally give him permission to get on with the sex. Foreplay was wonderful, but after so much of it she could barely breathe in the haze of such an enveloping heat.

“Goku,” she moaned, slowly blinking as he finally relieved some of the ache by rubbing circles with his thumb against her at just the right speed. “Goku, sweetheart...”

“Hm?” He hummed playfully into her skin as if he didn't know exactly what she was trying to say. “Oh, Chi-Chi, think you can keep yourself up by holding onto me? This angle makes it a little hard to get out of my -”

“Yes,” she murmured, wanting him to shush and get to it already, aching for more from him, so she locked her arms behind his neck and crossed her ankles behind his back. “Yes, but hurry.”

“Hurry, huh?” He teased, giving a little kiss to her cheek before dropping his hold so he could slip out of the one attire of clothing he was wearing. Almost instantly, his hands were back on her hips, warm and tender. “Can I leave you in what you're wearing, though?”

With a blink, she lifted her eyes to see his blush and somewhat sheepish grin. Her heart warmed at the look, at his need to still ask permission for everything, and she gave a nod and a smile in reply. His eyes shimmered, the lust deep and _so_ strong as he shifted her position around to find the angle he needed, pulling her panties to the side to allow for his entrance. And when he did find that angle, his entry was slow and steady, their breathing hitching together at every push closer until finally, _finally_ they were connected completely.

~!~

Once they were together in the deepest sense of the word, Goku took a moment to catch his breath. So much was running through his head, so much running everything else. A deeper part of him had the strangest urge to rip the new clothes off of his wife and devour her without mercy. Every time the same desire and every time it peaked whenever he was inside her, as if this position and this point was the pinnacle of his personal control.

He took a moment to breathe, not just to allow her to adjust to the intrusion, but to allow himself time to pin down those deeper, primal desires. He hadn't understood when he was younger, when they first coupled, but her consistent reminders to be gentle helped him to keep the urges down. Now, he knew why he had that animalistic, insistent _want_ – because he wasn't human to begin with.

But his wife was. Strong for a human but no where near his power. He could break her in a second if he wasn't careful, and she meant way too much for him to dare to lose his focus and concentration in the middle of such a meaningful moment.

Think of her. Touch her. Soft. Gentle. Smooth. Slow. Like glass that could shatter at one wrong move, he held her close. He rubbed her legs, her back, her side, her arms. He cupped her face, letting his fingers thread through her long silky hair. He leaned down as if to kiss her, but buried his nose in her hair instead, breathing in her sweet scent and losing himself in the sensations momentarily.

When her fingers scratched at the back of his own hair, he smirked against her shoulder. Her little silent way of telling him to move, to stop holding them in a state of limbo. Lifting his head, he found her mouth to capture her in a kiss, swallowing the cry she let loose when he began to slide in and out of her. Wouldn't want anyone else to hear her screaming his name, as much as he liked hearing it.

Maybe he was covering up his own sounds, too. Whatever the case, Goku held Chi-Chi against him as his pace picked up. First slow and soft. Almost unbearable as he groaned to match his wife's whispered moaning. But then faster, bit by bit. And deeper without being rough. Skin slapped against skin, the sound mingling with their pants, groans, and cut off cries.

Goku kept his eyes open, watching her, feeling his blood sing at the way she tried to rock back to meet him, at the way her eyes fluttered and her lips mouthed his name, silently or not. Although he couldn't kiss her the entire time, he licked his lips and was prepared for any sign that she might scream. There was always a little tremor in her body before she did, as well as the jerking movement of her head crashing against the wall.

Thankfully she only did that once, because after the first hard knock he made sure to put a hand behind her to hold her relatively still. He didn't want to hurt her – or for her to hurt herself in the throes of passion. Besides that, he admired the way she looked in the lingerie. Its laced trim fluttered at each motion, tantalizing in the way it rose and fell against her skin. He still didn't understand why something so simplistic would affect him so, but he wasn't going to argue. Not if she liked it, too.

With sweat running down their bodies and their whispers to each other growing hoarse, it was only a matter of time until...and the moment Goku thought about a climax, Chi-Chi clenched around him, pausing everything else. Her voice jumped an octave or two as she squeaked out his name one last time and then dropped into his gentle embrace with a falling sigh. Taking her exhausted state into account, he followed behind as quickly as he could without hurting her, humming into her hair and rubbing her back as the high faded around them ever so slowly.

For a few minutes, they sat in each other's embrace, catching their breath. Sitting there together, enjoying the feel of it. Enjoying the smell, the sounds. Hushed pants falling against bare skin. Now was the moment to cuddle close and hum as he lost himself in all the reasons why he loved her. Being so close, being connected in such a way, without needing motion or words. Just each other and nothing more.

Eventually, Goku pulled away from the wall, still cradling Chi-Chi against him, still inside her even as he hovered over to the bed. Her legs unlocked from around his waist and he grimaced slightly as he pulled out and laid her down on the bed.

Looking down at her, Goku chuckled. “Babe, you crack me up.”

At some point in their resting, Chi-Chi had fallen asleep, but the hum she gave after his comment made him believe she wasn't that far gone. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he reached over to run his fingers through her hair, admiring her in her sleep. And then he realized that he had no idea what to do about her clothes. Normally, if she fell asleep after sex, she was only naked so as long as he covered her up in the bed's blankets, she wasn't mad in the morning. This lingerie stuff, though…

Goku sighed and scratched at his head, yawning before he decided to adjust the clothes so that she was wearing them more properly – fix the part around her breasts and position the odd, but nice-looking underwear. His fingers lingered, gently stroking up her bare thighs, ghosting around the space between, before leaving that alone to slip underneath the thin garment and trace the lines on her stomach, adoring the cute little stretch-marks caused by her pregnancy. Her skin seemed to be glowing in the aftermaths of their love making, and once again he simply sat and admired her.

After a few silent moments spent in adoration over his wife, Goku finally flopped into the bed himself. He pulled the blankets and sheets up over the both of them, curling up next to Chi-Chi to feel her body's warmth. When he left a little kiss on her forehead, he noted the little smile given in return, even though she was fast asleep.

“Yeah,” he whispered with a smile of his own. “I love you, too.”

 


End file.
